


Dancing with the Linebacker

by KristannaFever



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Brief Mention of:, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Kristanna, Modern AU, Suicide, drugs/overdose, ends on a very high note, self indulgent story, with some angst in parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 70,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22388620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KristannaFever/pseuds/KristannaFever
Summary: Kristoff Bjorgman.  Linebacker.  Single father.  Dancer.When asked to do Dancing with the Stars, Kristoff accepts at his daughter’s pleas.  That’s when he’s paired with professional dancer Anna Arendelle, and his life is about to change forever
Relationships: Anna & Kristoff (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

“Please Daddy! Pleeeeaaaaassseeeee.”

Kristoff looked down into his daughter’s honey-brown eyes, wishing that he had never said anything to her. The fact was, they had been asking him to do the show for three seasons and he always politely declined knowing that he was a terrible dancer. Well that and the fact that he hated being in the spotlight. Going on the show would literally thrust him into one.

His daughter’s puppy-dog eyes, so much like his own, would always be his biggest weakness. His heart melted. 

“Okay, I’ll do it. For you, I’ll do it.”

She squealed in delight and jumped up to hug him. Kristoff pulled her up into his arms. 

“I am going to phone Mommy and tell her.”

“You know sweetheart, let me run it by her first and then you can talk all you want about it this weekend, okay?”

She nodded innocently, not understanding the strain between her parents, then scampered back to her coloring book.

Kristoff sighed inwardly. He knew this was going to lead to a fight with Laura. She would tell him something completely absurd – that she didn’t want Autumn on TV or something, even if she was just in the audience, or that the dance costumes were a bad influence for her self-image, or it was improper to see two people dancing those intimate dances… or just _something._ There was always _something._

After she had cheated on him, repeatedly, the courts had granted Kristoff full custody with one weekend a month where Laura could take her. She fought vehemently not to have a court appointed chaperone, but when Kristoff had come home early after suffering an injury in practice to see his daughter crying, covered in vomit, left by herself at 18 months old, alone in the kitchen strapped to her booster seat, while his wife was upstairs screaming another man’s name, he was surprised Laura was even allowed to see their daughter at all.

_He had grabbed his daughter with tears in his eyes. He had cleaned her up and gotten her calm, singing to her softly, trying to drown out his wife’s moans and screams. When she was peacefully asleep in his arms, he had placed Autumn gently in her play crib then charged upstairs, blind with rage, and stormed into the room. The man had scrambled from the house while Laura wailed to him that she was sorry, that she had made a mistake and that it would never happen again and a whole slew of other lies. Kristoff had never, ever, laid a hand on a woman in malice before. But he had come close then, thinking about his daughter.  
So very close._

He shivered at the memory and pulled in a shuddering breath, fighting against the nausea that rolled within him whenever that particular day came to mind. He pulled his mug to his lips and took a deep gulp coffee.

Autumn looked up from her coloring. “Are you okay Daddy?”

He smiled past the lump in his throat and nodded. “Just tired sweetie, that’s all.”

She smiled, satisfied with his answer and turned her attention back to her work. 

Kristoff watched his daughter for a moment in awe of the beautiful little woman she was becoming. She was smart as a whip and wonderfully well spoken, even at five years old. Kristoff thought again about how happy he was that he had caught Laura when he did. He wondered how things might have gone had he not discovered her neglect for their daughter. That had angered him more than the fact that she was fucking other guys. Three, which she admitted to, but he suspected there were more. 

Gerda came in the kitchen, pulling Kristoff from his brooding thoughts. 

“Need me to throw anything else in the wash before I leave Mr. Bjorgman?” 

Before Kristoff could answer, Autumn began talking excitedly. 

“Guess what Gerda! Daddy is going to go on Dancing with the Stars! He’s going to be on TV and he’s going to learn how to dance!”

Kristoff smiled at his daughter, despite the bile of fear that was bubbling up inside. 

“That’s lovely,” Gerda said to him.

“And he’s going to win the mirror ball trophy!” Autumn declared.

“Uh, honey, I don’t think I will make it that far.”

“Of course you will Daddy! Oh, I wonder who you will get to dance with?” 

She turned inward then and began humming to herself as she resumed coloring. Kristoff was continuously amazed at how his daughter day-dreamed all the time. He was proud of her vivid imagination. _She is going to grow up to do great things,_ he thought, and not for the first time.

*****

A month later Kristoff found himself walking up to the dance studio with the producer, holding his daughters’ hand as she scampered along his side trying to catch up to his long strides. 

“When we give you the cue, you will open the door and reveal who your partner is. She doesn’t know yet she’s getting paired with you, so when she reacts to you walking in, just roll with it, okay? After all, she’s done this before.”

Kristoff nodded, fighting with the knot of unease in his stomach. He instantly regretted agreeing to do the show. His daughter squeezed his hand, as if she could feel his nerves. Maybe, he thought, she could. Kristoff looked down at her beautiful face. 

“You got this Daddy.” 

Kristoff smiled as he positioned himself in front of the door as the camera crew got into place. Gerda took Autumn’s hand and pulled her gently back to keep out of the shot.

There was a scramble of people setting up around him, making Kristoff extremely nervous. He was very glad that this round of the show was on was in NFL’s off season. He had a feeling that his game would greatly suffer with this constant distraction. 

The producer nodded then and he braced himself inwardly before opening the door. He stepped into the large studio, noticing first the amount of camera’s that were in there, before his eyes settled on a pair of shimmering blue diamonds framed by waves of copper hair. His heart stopped in his chest and he faltered. Somehow, his legs still managed to propel him towards her, but he was a complete and utter mess to say or do anything else.

Her smile ignited his soul as she walked right up to him with enthusiasm. 

“Oh my God I am so excited to meet you!” She said and pulled him into an embrace. He fumbled his arms around her awkwardly before she pulled away. “I haven’t had the pleasure yet of dancing with a football player.” She offered her hand. “My name is Anna.”

Somehow, he found her hand and shook it as a nervous smile broke out on his face. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” he mumbled. 

Anna’s eyes flicked ever so quickly over to the producer behind him, as if to ask for help. She smiled wider, “Don’t be nervous. This is going to be really fun okay?” she said, putting her hand on his arm and pulling him from himself enough that he could regain some composure. “It’s going to be a blast to teach you how to dance.”

He chuckled nervously. “Sorry, I, uh, am a horrible dancer. You will have your work cut out for you.”

She grinned. “Challenge accepted.”

The producer appeared at their side. “Okay, that was, fine. Good job Mr. Bjorgman.” He turned to his camera crew. “Wrap it up folks and let’s do the next one.”

“Daddy!” He heard from behind him as Autumn came running up. He turned and grabbed his daughter up in his arms, then turned back towards Anna. His daughter’s eyes went wide. “Oh Daddy, I was hoping you would get to dance with Anna Arendelle.” She put her little mouth to his ear and whispered. “She’s so pretty.”

Kristoff’s cheeks flushed with heat as Anna smiled. 

“My aren’t you pretty yourself,” she said, “Blonde hair and brown eyes, just like your Daddy!”

Kristoff cleared his throat, hating the heat he felt in his face. He wondered with how many times his daughter had watched this show that he had never paid close enough attention to realize there was such as stunning woman on it. “Uh, this is my daughter, Autumn.” Anna shook her little hand and told her what a pleasure it was to meet her.

“I have a son about your age. How old are you sweetheart?” Anna asked.

“I’m five and a half,” she said proudly.

Anna smiled. “My little guy _just_ turned five,” she said. “I will bring him to the studio and you can meet him sometime.”

Autumn gave her most polite smile. “That would be lovely,” she said, mimicking the way Gerda spoke to her all the time.

Kristoff put her down and she scampered off back to Gerda so that they could talk about a training schedule for the week. 

Anna suddenly grabbed his arm, surprising him. “She is so cute!” she squeaked and grabbed playfully at her heart. “What a little lady.”

Kristoff felt his cheeks somehow grow hotter. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

*****

He dropped Autumn off at Laura’s that night, hugging her fiercely before letting her go. He drove home with tears in his eyes, like he did every time he had to leave her there. The amount that he worried over his daughter was astounding, even with a chaperone monitoring everything. He found himself wishing for the millionth time that Laura would just lose interest and run off with some guy somewhere halfway around the world and never see them again.

Kristoff hated himself for thinking that but he could not deny that was what he wanted. He knew it was selfish, wishing that the woman who gave his daughter life, was gone from it. But after all she had put them though, a part of him felt completely justified. 

Autumn enjoyed the time with her mother. Kristoff knew if that ever changed however, if she ever came to him and said that she felt uncomfortable or scared, he would immediately seek to have Laura’s visiting rights revoked.

He laid awake in bed a long time that night, wondering how Laura could have gotten so unrecognizable from their first years together. He couldn’t quite remember when exactly she had changed. It had to be around the time she got pregnant and Kristoff had taken her down to City Hall to get married because she said she refused to have the baby out of wedlock. Was it then that she became a different person, or was it afterwards, when he would get home and she would be talking on the phone or out with her friends while Gerda looked after their daughter? Was it when he started making more money that she changed? He should have realized something was happening. After the boob-job and the plastic surgery when their daughter turned one - as a gift to herself she said - and the fact that her eyes were always a kind of glassy from either pills or alcohol, or both. He wondered too for the millionth time why he even put up with it. He had been unhappy for so very long and it was clear to him that Laura was too. He hated the fact that he tried to make it work for their daughter, never wanting to raise a child in a broken home. Yet after they had divorced anyway, he realized how much healthier they all were being apart.

He sighed, not wanting his ex of all things to keep him awake. It was after all, in the past. There was nothing he could do to change it. Instead he let his mind think about his new dance partner. He couldn’t help but feel the involuntary flutter of butterflies in his stomach, realizing how long it had been since he had felt that way about a woman.

*****

Anna paced the living room of their small apartment with anger. He _knew_ that she had to get to the studio to work on choreographing her and Kristoff’s first dance. He _knew it_. Yet he was still not home even though he promised he would be.

She had tucked their son into bed two hours ago and Hans was still nowhere to be found. Repeated texts and calls to his cell had gotten her no response. Unable to concentrate on anything else, she paced with her teeth gritted and her hands pressed into fists, waiting to unleash hell on him when and if he ever came home.

She was about to quit and just go to bed when she heard his keys in the lock. She stormed towards the door as he stumbled in, stinking drunk. She was at his throat before he could close the door. 

“You Asshole! You knew I had to get to the studio tonight to get a dance together! Where the _hell_ have you been?”

Hans braced his back against the door as he slowly removed his shoes and slurred at her. “Sorry. I know I was supposed to look after Kody, but I had to take these clients out and, it was important and well…” He shrugged his shoulders at her. “You know I have to put clients first sometimes.”

“Well you are sleeping on the fucking couch tonight,” she seethed at him.

He let out a quick breath, “Whatever.” He stumbled over to the couch and fell on it, passing out with an obnoxious snore.

Anna stood looking at him for a moment, flabbergasted, as a cold realization blossomed within her. A truth that she knew had been there for some time but she had been ignoring. She was no longer in love with Hans. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kristoff waited alone in the studio for Anna to show up. He paced slowly around the room, carefully ignoring his reflection in the wall or mirrors, wondering if there was an issue. Maybe Anna had told the producers that she didn’t want to partnered with an uncharismatic football player. She was probably begging them to put her with someone else, to spare her the embarrassment of getting kicked out in the first round. He sighed deeply, shuffling his feet along the dancefloor when she suddenly came in.

“I am so sorry, Kristoff,” she said as she hurried over to a corner to drop her bag. “I, uh, didn’t get a chance to start anything last night. We’ll just make it up as we go along today, okay?”

He stood watching her, wondering why she was carefully avoiding looking at him as she pulled on a pair of dance shoes. She had been all eyes when he had met her and now, she wouldn’t look anywhere near him.

“Luckily we got the Viennese Waltz for our first dance. We can work on your form. It’s better than getting a quick paced dance for the first one. Those are tough sometimes for someone who has never danced before.”

She finished doing up the last strap of her shoe and stood up, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she walked to the stereo in the corner. He followed her and stood beside her, still watching her face closely. 

“The song we got is ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri, so we’ll start by listening to it and then we can run through some basic steps okay?”

He was still silent as she pressed play and closed her eyes to concentrate on the music. Kristoff couldn’t pay attention, however. He wanted to know what was wrong. 

“Anna…” he started.

She silently held up a finger to shush him, eyes still closed. He waited until the song ended when she finally - reluctantly, he could tell - turned her gaze to him. She said nothing. Instead she pleaded with emotional eyes for him not to ask. 

But he couldn’t help himself. “Anna, are you okay?” 

Her smile was fake. “Yup, now let’s go through some basic steps okay?”

“Okay. Tell me what to do and I’ll do my best.”

Her smile became more genuine. “I know you will. The best thing about dancing with an athlete is that you all have a lot of discipline.” She walked up to him and began moving his arms around her into the proper position. She looked up into his eyes and gave a quick laugh. “Well, they did warn me that I was going to have the added challenge of a height difference with you.”

Kristoff chuckled nervously, still thinking about the pain in her eyes.

She was still looking up at him shaking her head. “My goodness, how tall are you anyway?”

“Uh, six-four.”

She nodded. “Yeah I figured it was something like that. You have a full foot on me, you know that?”

“Is it, going to be a problem? Uh, an issue with the dances?” 

Her face softened. “No, of course not. We will make it work. You will have to focus extra hard on not stooping down to hold me in form, okay? You need to keep your back straight.”

He nodded. “Okay. I will do whatever you need me to.”

*****

Kristoff drove home with a flustered mind. Anna had given him so many words of encouragement but he knew he was constantly fucking up the steps and breaking the hold. He just couldn’t concentrate. All he kept thinking about was her blue eyes and her freckled cheeks, and her lips, that looked _oh_ - _so soft_ …

He shook his head. _Pull it together man,_ he told himself.

As soon as he was in the door, he called Laura’s number. He knew that whenever he did, Autumn would always answer, having the phone thrust at her since Laura did not care to speak to him more than was absolutely necessary. She loathed him to a point where she wouldn’t even let Autumn watch his games when she was there.

“Hi Daddy,” she chirped. 

“Hi sweetheart!” Kristoff said, instantly feeling better for hearing her voice. “Are you having fun?” 

“Uh huh,” she said. “We are going to go for a walk and Mommy said she would buy me ice cream.” 

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Kristoff said.

He talked with his daughter for a few more minutes, making sure that she was okay and that she was happy. He carefully asked her about the chaperone and Laura. Autumn was smart enough to answer with simple yeses and no’s. His heart ached when he hung up with her but he reminded himself that it was only two more sleeps before his daughter would be safe with him once again.

He paced his house, too distracted to read or watch TV. He wished that he had made plans with some of his friends or teammates to go out and do something. He didn’t, thinking that he would be more wrapped up with learning to dance. The producer had warned him that sometimes the pro dancers liked to work with their partners well past the shooting schedule. With his obvious lack of skill, he had assumed that Anna would want him to stay late and practice.

But she had taken off shortly after the crews, telling him that she would see him the next morning as she was half-way out the door, leaving him standing there looking after her wondering if she was running home to her son and boyfriend/fiancé/husband, or if she just couldn’t stand him.

Kristoff sat at his computer and looked up the Viennese Waltz. He stood awkwardly, trying to mimic some of the forms that Anna had taught him with the people in the videos. He got frustrated quickly and gave up.

He stalked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Twisting it open, he leaned his backside against the kitchen counter and lost himself in thought. 

*****

Anna sat at the table with Kody eating the chicken and vegetables that she had made for them. Hans’s seat at the table remained empty, as she knew it would. She had no doubt that he was out again entertaining clients. It was a Saturday night and she rarely saw him on the weekends.

She wished too that her sister Elsa was back from her trip. She desperately needed help with Kody since Hans had other things to do besides help her take care of him. What things he actually did when he was away, she often wondered about.

She was upset with the nagging in her gut that she was going to fail Kristoff. He seemed like such a nice guy and she felt horrible that she could not devote the time she normally would to a dance partner. She sighed and pushed the food around on her plate, struggling to find an appetite.

“Will Daddy be home soon?” Kody asked. 

“Probably not, buddy,” Anna said carefully. “I think he had to work tonight.”

As if the Gods could hear and decide to toy with her, she heard him come into their apartment. She was prepared for the conversation she was going to have with him later when Kody was asleep about the problems they were having, but when he walked into the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers, she was taken aback. More so when their son excitedly greeted his father with a “Hi Daddy!” It hit her heart in a way she was not expecting.

“Hi guys,” he said as he kissed her on the top of her head. “I am so sorry for last night.” He handed her the flowers and she took them automatically, reeling from the fact that he was actually apologizing. He took a seat at the table and looked at her. 

“I realize how crappy that was of me to bail on you last night. I know you have an important job too and I’m so sorry. I told my clients that I was busy tonight.” He smiled at her in the way that he used to when they were young and in love. She expected her heart to leap like it had in the past, but it didn’t.

She realized that he was looking at her closely and she felt her face smile, despite what her mind was thinking. 

“S’okay,” she mumbled.

She continued to poke at her food while Hans helped himself to a plate and indulged his son as he told him about the new cartoon he watched and the drawings of trucks that he did that his Dad simply _had_ to look at once they were finished with supper. His smile was easy and his green eyes were calm, something that Anna realized she hadn’t seen in a long time. 

She searched within herself to find it; any part of her that still loved him. It almost brought her to tears that it was gone. 

It was all gone. 

*****

Hans woke with her, bright an early, eager and excited to look after Kody. He kissed her when she left and she felt awkward over the way her lips lingered on his, remembering the love their kisses used to hold, trying desperately to feel it again but coming up empty.

She pulled her car into the studio parking lot and parked beside Kristoff’s Jeep, slightly surprised that he was there already. She found her way inside, relishing in the quiet of the early Sunday morning. 

Anna had her hand on the door to the dance studio when she paused. She could hear that blasted song and shoes on the floor. She quietly turned the handle and peered inside through the cracked door, seeing Kristoff’s reflection first as he looked at himself in the wall of mirrors with a frown on his face.

He was practicing the hold without her, carefully moving his feet in the steps she had taught him, looking at himself as he did so but clearly not wanting to. 

He fumbled and he stopped, shaking his head at himself, then starting over again while his lips were pursed in concentration and his stance determined to get it right.

Anna wasn’t sure how long she watched him before he noticed her reflection in the mirror from the barely open door. He stopped dead, a look of embarrassment on his features as she walked in, carefully avoiding looking him too closely in the eyes. 

“Good morning. Nice to see you practicing,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant and hating the way her words fell flat. Why had she watched him anyway? Why was it so important to observe him in his own element, even if it was only for a minute?

She felt his eyes on her as she readied herself. God how silent he was! She had danced with a hockey player once and he was never _this_ quiet. Anna turned to face him and stopped at his gaze, his warm brown eyes regarding her in a way she was completely unfamiliar with.

She shook her troubles from her mind and threw herself back into her teaching. Anna pushed him into position once again, struggling to push his arms into place even though she knew he was being completely slack. There was such steel below his soft skin that it was hard for her to contort him the way she wanted.

“God, you football players are huge,” she said as she was pushing his shoulders back. “All thick necks and broad shoulders… no wonder you guys always seem to have trouble with the holds.”

Kristoff gave her a lopsided smile. “Helps make a tackle though.”

Anna laughed despite her worries. “I’m sure it does.”

*****

They worked late into the day since Hans was so eager and available to look after Kody. All day she whipped Kristoff into shape and he was endlessly patient with her as she barked at him to keep his back straight and shook her head when he got the simplest of steps wrong. She wondered how a Linebacker could have such a calm demeanor.

Finally, _finally,_ by the end of the day he was able to get the steps memorized and mostly stay in hold. They ran through the dance two more times, once without the music and then once with, and he was able to repeat his earlier success. 

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Tomorrow we can focus on your form,” Anna beamed at him. When he blushed, she realized that she found it incredibly endearing.

She took her shoes off, rubbing the small ache on the bottom of her feet. Kristoff was silent beside her, doing the same. “God, I am going to be so sick of that song by the end of the week,” she muttered.

“I’m already sick of it,” Kristoff replied.

Anna surprised herself a little by laughing. He looked at her curiously. She knew it wasn’t a joke per se, there was just something about the way he said it.

He walked out with her to the dark parking lot, their vehicles sitting alone under the harsh glare of a light standard. “Well, I’ll see you bright an early tomorrow morning?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, finally saying “Sure thing” with a lopsided grin. Anna waved at him when she pulled way and found herself wondering what it is that he was initially going to say.

All the way home she assumed that she would be thinking of other things, much more important things, yet she found herself idly wondering what Kristoff looked like in his football gear. She didn’t recall knowing anything about him besides what the producers had told her. She didn’t even know if she had ever actually watched a football game in her life. 

_Might be time I take an interest in sports_ , she thought.

*****

“Did you have a good time at your Mom’s?” Kristoff asked his daughter in the rear-view mirror as they drove home.

She nodded. “Yes Daddy, I did.”

Kristoff smiled. He was so glad to have Autumn back again, safe and sound. “How about we make some popcorn when we get home watch a movie?”

“Yay!” She threw her little hands up in the air. “Can I pick the movie?”

“Of course, sweetheart, of course,” Kristoff said, knowing full well it would be something that he had already seen a couple dozen times. He didn’t care. All he cared about was spending time with his daughter.

*****

Hans was sitting at the table with Kody when she got home, eating pizza which did not surprise her. Hans didn’t cook. He didn’t know how to cook. 

Her husband and son smiled at her when she came in the kitchen and it made her heart ache. _I can make this work,_ she thought. _If things are going to be normal for us again, I will make this work. I have to make it work. For Kody._

She grabbed a leftover salad from the fridge, barely keeping her willpower not grab three slices of pizza and inhale them. It would be wonderful when the season was done and she could indulge a little in carbs again.

When they had tucked their son into bed that night, Hans grabbed her waist and kissed her with the implication that he wanted to have sex. It had been a very long time with all his outings and the fact that most of the time he came home he was too drunk to get it up. Not to mention he had shown no interest in her for what seemed like forever.

She kissed him back, feeling strange in his embrace. He pulled back with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Just tired, I guess. I’m sorry, it was a long day. I’m just not into it.”

Hans dropped his arms heavily from her waist, looking like he was going to start complaining. Then he shifted into a sweet smile. “Let’s just get some rest then,” he said gently. “And hey, I’ll take tomorrow off work too so you can catch up with some lost time at yours, okay?”

Anna smiled at him automatically and nodded, trying again to feel _something_ from looking into her husband’s green eyes. But there was nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Kristoff got to the studio before Anna again, waking before the crack of dawn, too pent up and nervous to go back to sleep. He found his way into the large room, put on the incredibly uncomfortable dance shoes and started practicing in the mirror again, careful to keep watching the door. He wondered how long Anna had watched him yesterday before he noticed her. Even more so, he wondered why she had done it.

He ran through the steps, stumbling the first time trying to do it with his mind blank of any song. He realized that as soon as he starting singing the song in his head, he was able to remember the pace and where to put his feet. He started to hum as he went through the movements, pretending that Anna was in his grasp while reminding himself to keep his back straight.

*****

Anna knew Kristoff was in the studio before her again _. S_ he went to open the door fully this time, charge right in and not spy on him like the day before. She could hear that infuriating song, but her hand stopped just short of the handle. A smooth baritone was behind the music. Anna flinched when she realized that it was Kristoff singing. Desperately she pushed her ear against the door, needing to hear him better. 

His voice, so confident and strong, made her heart skitter in her chest. She imagined what he looked like, singing to himself in the mirror as he followed her steps with those gorgeous melodies falling from his lips. Her breath caught as she realized she had the sting of tears behind her eyes. Anna ripped her ear from the door and ran to the bathroom.

She stopped at the sink and gripped the counter until her knuckles turned white, shaking, her head down, not trusting to look herself in the eye. _What the hell was that all about?_ she thought, suddenly desperate to understand why she had become so emotional. _How can I look at the father of my child and feel nothing and yet be brought to near tears by the mere sound of him singing? Through a fucking door no less! What is wrong with me?_ She slowly brought her eyes up, startled by the wide-eyed panic that looked back at her in the mirror.   
_Oh my God, I am losing it._

When she finally went back, the room was quiet. She took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked in, trying to seem normal. She meant to say ‘Good Morning’ until he met her eyes and she couldn’t trust herself to talk. 

She put on her shoes under the weight of his silent stare and mentally braced herself as she stood and turned to him. She approached where he stood on shaky legs, about to tell him to take form so they could start. With one more look into those brown depths of his, the words “I’m married” stumbled stupidly from her mouth.

His brow furrowed. “Okay. Good to know.”

She let out a quick breath and shook her head. “Sorry, I… I didn’t mean… to… I, uh…”

“No worries,” he said slowly, his expression not giving her anything. “Don’t need to explain. Just setting a boundary, I get it.”

“No, that’s _not_ what I was doing, and I _do_ need to explain. It’s just... I can’t because I don’t know what’s going on with me and I…” The tears fell then. Stupid, frightened tears. He didn’t make a move to comfort her so she went to the row of chairs at the edge of the dance floor and plopped into one. She half expected him to follow, but he stood there, simply watching with that poker face. _He is always watching and not talking and it is infuriating!_

It wasn’t until she met his eyes again that he seemed to realize that she wanted to talk. He walked over slowly and took the chair at the end, leaving two empty seats between them.

“I, I don’t love my husband anymore.” She didn’t want to tell him that. She wanted to keep it between her and Hans, but she realized words were suddenly pouring from her mouth. “I want a divorce but we have our son Kody and I know that will tear him apart, and I can’t stand the thought of having to share custody, and I’m so scared, and I don’t know what to do, and I’m worried if I try and make it work that I will regret if for the rest of my life, but if I leave him I’ll destroy them both and...” She sighed with frustration for having spilled so much personal shit on someone who was practically a stranger.

“I’ve been there,” he said quietly. 

“How did Autumn take it?” she asked, desperate to know for her fear over her son’s feelings.

“She was too young when it happened. She’s grown up with her mother and I being separated.”

“Do you share custody then?” Anna asked, wanting to know how such a thing would even work; how Kristoff could handle not being with his daughter every day.

He darkened and she immediately regretting opening up to him. 

“Her mother can only see her one weekend a month,” he said, his tone hard, matching his gaze.

She flinched away from him, settling her eyes straight ahead. “Sorry,” she mumbled. The silence in the large studio was deafening. She could feel the tension on him instantly. Obviously, it was a _very_ sore subject, which brought all sorts of questions to her mind. 

“I don’t mind talking to you about it. But maybe not here,” he said, more of a comment than a question.

Anna turned her focus back on him, but the darkness was gone. She nodded. “Maybe after?”

He hesitated. “Maybe,” was all he offered.

*****

Anna struggled. She knew she was failing him but she was unable to focus her mind. She thought about Hans and about a separation, and about wanting to talk to Kristoff about his divorce, all in front of the camera crew there to film their second day of trying to learn the dance.

It didn’t help that Kristoff was exceptionally quiet and she found herself prattling along to fill the void. It got so bad that she talked the producer into cutting the filming early since they were both giving them nothing. 

“I like it when they aren’t here,” Kristoff said when they were alone in the room.

She couldn’t help but smile. “Me too.”

“Did you want to quit early and go talk about things?”

God he was unreadable when he wanted to be. _Game Face_ , she thought. “You need more practice.”

That brought a quick laugh. “I’m sorry, but I think you and I both know that I am not going to make it very far in this competition.”

“Then it would be my fault, not yours.”

“I can’t dance.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Anna, you-”

“No, Kristoff. You have so much potential and you are a quick learner. _I_ am the one who is supposed to be helping you with it, but I am fucking it up at every single turn because my personal life is an absolute disaster!” His eyes widened ever so slightly at how loud her voice had gotten. She waited, staring at his face that betrayed nothing! _Oh my God, he is killing me with his silence! This man… is just…_

“Stay late tomorrow and work with me then. I think we both might feel better if you can get some things off your chest?”

“Yes, I certainly would, but I think my…” She couldn’t bring herself to say _husband_. She cleared her throat. “I have no one to look after Kody.”

“Well, my housekeeper is always looking after Autumn for me when I’m working. She loves to babysit, actually. She could look after Autumn and Kody for us while we practice late.”

The relief she felt was strange, but welcomed. Anna nodded.

*****

“So, a drink, or coffee?” It was the first he had spoken since she had hopped into his Jeep with him. 

“Drink, please,” she said quickly, lamenting her eagerness.

“It’ll have to be just one.”

“Of course, that’s fine.”

He didn’t say another word. He drove to somewhere he obviously knew and parked, quickly hopping out and walking around the vehicle to open her door, something which she was already doing for herself. He stooped half way around the hood when he realized she was already standing at the passenger side and looked at her for a half a second before he turned around with a slight raise of his eyebrows and walked towards the building. 

_Oh my god I swear he just shrugged at me with his mind!_

They found a quiet booth in the darkest part of a lounge in the two-star hotel off the beaten path. They each ordered a drink and when the waiter left, Kristoff looked at her expectantly.

“So, uh, where do I start?”

She noticed the slightest pull of a smile on his mouth. “How about from the beginning?”

“Well, I was born in Modesto and-”

He rumbled with laughter and it shook Anna to her core. She gasped inwardly, _Holy Hell, that is a wonderful laugh._

He was shaking his head. “Okay, new approach. How about I ask you how long you’ve been married?”

“Six years.”

“Before you had your boy?”

She nodded slowly, remembering that she had given birth roughly 9 months after her honeymoon. _Well, actually, it was eight and a half._

“When did you realize that you didn’t love your husband anymore?” 

Her mouth hung open. She wasn’t ready for such a direct question. When _had_ it been? Sometime around when he got a promotion and was at home less often, not caring that he was missing out on time with Kody? Or perhaps around all the times he missed picking up Kody from Kindergarten, when he promised he would? How about when he came home smelling of cheap perfume, telling her that it was from a client who wore too much, yet there was a part of her that didn’t believe him? Was it the way he couldn’t satisfy her in bed anymore, leaving her seeking her own pleasure instead of his? Or the way that, save for last night, he had shown no interest in her at all. To say nothing of the dull look in his eyes lately....

“Hit a nerve there, did I?”

Anna looked at him, realizing there was a drink in front of her and she had zoned out in thought. She picked up the glass of wine and took a gulp with shaking hands. “Yes. You did.”

He did not apologize; she had asked for this after all. “I don’t know when exactly, but I think I knew I was falling out of love, but I ignored it until I realized one day that it had already happened.”

“Does he know? That you don’t love him anymore?”

Another one she wasn’t ready for. _Did he know_? Was that the reason for the sudden affection? Maybe he could sense it on her and was trying to make up for all the bullshit he had been putting her through. She shook her head that she had no idea.

He sat back in his seat. “When was the last time you had sex?” 

Her face betrayed her shock and he laughed again. He laughed at her! Her mouth gaped at him but no words would come forth, distracted by the question and that golden sound.

“Okay, enough torture,” he chuckled. “Let me tell you why I ask. My ex got pregnant so we got married. You understand? Our daughter arrived and we thought everything would be happy and perfect once she was there, but we were both wrong. We fell out of love and neither of us did anything about it. We stopped having sex... well, _I_ stopped having sex, and we basically lived like roommates who happen to share a bed. We were both incredibly unhappy and we never said anything to each other. We both, no, all _three_ of us, suffered for it.”

Anna was at a loss for words.

“I wish I had the balls to tell her sooner that I didn’t love her. It might have prevented…” He gulped hard and turned his eyes to the table. “A lot of things that I deeply regret happening.”

“Kristoff…”

He looked up at her again and Anna saw the darkness she had glimpsed earlier. 

“Laura is only allowed to see Autumn one weekend a month because she left her, while she was sick, strapped into her high chair in the kitchen while she went upstairs and fucked another man in _my_ bed.”

It was her turn to be silent, she knew that. She waited, trying to keep the horror she was feeling from showing.

“If you and your husband can part ways amicably and share custody of your son, even though you will miss him, it might be better for you all as a family. I’m sure you don’t even realize how much you probably fight in front of Kody do you?”

“We don’t.” She was instantly defensive. “We never, _ever_ fight in front of him. We go to another room or wait until he is asleep and we have quiet discussions.”

His expression fell and his gaze became unfocused. “Trust me, he still hears you.”

The ghost of whatever past Kristoff was recalling, hit her hard. How could she have been so stupid? She had heard it time and time again, that kids always know when their parents were fighting. 

“Oh God,” she gasped. “I am a horrible mother.”

Suddenly he was at her side, clamping her against him with a heavy arm. “No, you are not.” 

“You don’t know that! You don’t know me!” 

“Yes, I do.” She could feel his gentle smile on his words. “No bad mother would worry so much over the emotions of her son that she would sacrifice being with someone she didn’t love.”

Anna pulled back and looked at him, cheeks hot. He never let her respond as he slid from her side and back into his, taking a long pull at his beer. “Now tell me, what do you want to do, in your heart?”

She did, and she was so relieved when she made up her mind, that she felt she could finally breathe for the first time in a long time.

*****

Kristoff saw Anna’s car at the studio when he pulled in the next morning, wondering how her night went after all the things they had talked about. 

She was bubbly and upbeat when he walked in, something that gave him great relief. He couldn’t help but smile at her exuberance. 

Anna eagerly filled him in about her evening, telling him everything in uncomfortable detail. 

_“When I talked to Hans he actually understood! He told me he felt guilty because he didn’t feel love anymore either, so that’s why he was trying to be better lately and do a better job of being a husband and father, because he felt bad, but he admitted that he was unhappy and that he wanted to get separated, and so we agreed to get divorced, and we also agreed to share custody. Then when Kody got up, we sat him down and told him, and I almost cried, but I didn't, and he was sad, but you know what? He understood too! He said a lot of his friends’ parents were divorced and he knew they had to spend time with each parent and all that, and we talked about how even though we would be apart sometimes, that we would always be a phone call or a facetime away and...”_

Kristoff nodded silently and she explained without pause, until she finished and looked at him with eyes so bright his heart skipped a beat. Happiness suited her. Boy, did it suit her.

Anna vibrated around him with so much energy that he had a hard time keeping up with her new pace, but he was glad that he was at least finally keeping his form right.

They danced the day away with her constantly blowing smoke up his ass about what a good job he was doing. He laughed to himself at how he almost preferred her quiet and reserved to this new never-ending fountain of words.

Half way through the day they were interrupted by costume design, wanting their input on where they perceived their theme to be. He was glad when Anna took the wheel and told them she wanting something classic and masculine for him, and something in a soft green for her with accents to match.

Kristoff tried not to squirm when they took all the measurements. 

When the filming day was done, Gerda showed up with Autumn. Anna told him that Hans was going to drop off their son before meeting with some clients and Kristoff was glad that Anna got a text and excused herself to go meet Hans in the parking lot to get Kody. He had no desire to actually meet her future ex-husband.

He was delighted by Anna’s son. He was a strawberry-haired, blue-eyed spitfire, just like her, and he talked non-stop. _This must be what Anna is usually like,_ he mused to himself, watching as Gerda took Kody and Autumn for dinner while he babbled away at them. 

Then they were alone in the studio. He turned to Anna and she was wearing a very real smile on her face. 

_Oh God, that looks good on her._

“Thanks Kristoff,” Anna said. “You’re a great friend.”

And just like that, he was struck in the heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Anna placed a hand on Kristoff’s chest below the outer fabric of his suit, feeling his rapid heartbeat. 

“You’re nervous.”

He couldn’t concentrate, let alone meet her eyes. “Gee, you think?” he hissed.

“Well, they’re going to play the video and then go to commercial and then-” Just as she started talking, she could hear the crowd quiet and listen to Tom begin to set up their video package.

He remembered all the things that he had said when they sat him down and drilled him with questions to make the introductory video. He had admitted that he was doing the show for his daughter and he knew that if he was to watch himself get all misty eyed, which he absolutely had, that he would break down and cry like a goddamn baby. He looked at Anna, hoping his eyes pleaded enough for her to see how unprepared he was for all of this. 

Anna surprised him by clamping her hands tightly against his face and pulling his head forcefully against her chest, with the top of his head pushed up against her chin. Kristoff had no time to think about how his chin was resting on the swell of her breasts, as her two hands clamped on his exposed ear to block the noise. 

Then he heard her. She sang to him, helping him block out the drone of the crowd and the blaring noise of his own voice from the video that was being shown. Her melody sounded deep against her chest and he wondered suddenly how it would sound with his ears free in a quiet environment.

Before he knew what was happening, she pulled his head up so that he would meet her eyes. 

“Are you ready?” Her eyes were hard, like his coach. It was time to put on the game face to play.

And he did.

Somehow, he was able to remember all his steps. He knew he fell out of hold once or twice, but being able to focus on Anna’s incredibly blue eyes helped him forget the lights, the cameras, the crowd and judges, and everything else that was disturbing him.

When they were in their finished pose, he could not help but seek his daughters face in the audience. She was there with Gerda, clapping furiously and standing at her tiny height, cheering him on.

When they walked to get their judge comments, Kristoff had the happiness of his daughter proud of him worn nakedly on his face.

Standing there, listening to what the judges had to say, Anna was an anchor at his side. He didn’t realize he was squeezing her hand until she gripped him back with force, as if to say it was tight enough. Somehow, he maintained his smile as they talked, while he ran the dance thought his head and recognized the mistakes they were commenting on.

He was completely not expecting the two sevens and two sixes that they were scored. They were the second last to dance and that had placed them somewhere in the middle of the leader board. He was surprised by not being at the bottom but suddenly mad at himself that he didn’t do well enough to be at the top.

When the show was done and they were alone back in one of the dressing rooms, changing into their normal clothes, they finally spoke about it.

“You did so good!” Anna beamed.

“Not good enough,” Kristoff mumbled.

“No, no this is a great start.” Her voice was still chipper even though her smile had already started to fade.

“Probably get kicked off next week at the double elimination…”

She threw her hands up. “Ugh! That’s why I hate getting paired with an athlete!”

He eyed her silently, not knowing what to say.

“You are so frustrating, you know that?” she said, clearly upset about his self-deprecation, or maybe it was his silence. “You, who said he couldn’t dance and gets those scores. Those are good scores for a first dance! Did you not hear the crowd Kristoff? They were cheering _you_ , you fucking idiot!’

Her fire brought his words out with force. “You know what? It doesn’t matter anyway. This show is just a popularity contest!”

She looked hurt and outraged at the same time and Kristoff immediately regretted his words. 

“Well, we will surely have no hope of winning then,” she said and walked out of the room.

*****

“Goodnight sweetheart.” 

Kristoff kissed his daughter on the forehead, knowing she couldn’t hear him. She had fallen asleep on the way home and he didn’t have the heart to wake her. He placed her straight in her bed, still in the little dress she had picked out for the occasion. When she woke up in the night, he would hear her, he always did, then he would help her into some pyjamas and tuck her back in.

He was exhausted from the week and a half of training, not to mention the stress of the show day. The nerves had started when they did the camera blocking, and then the dress rehearsal, and then all of the sudden those seats were filled with eyes, watching him… judging him.

He stripped and slid into a pair of pajama pants, then crawled into bed, hearing his phone ding with a text just as he laid his head on the pillow.

_I’m sorry_

It was from Anna. He had half a mind to ignore it, but he knew he wouldn’t. He wasn’t very good at holding a grudge anyway. Well, with the exception of his ex-wife.

‘Me too’ he texted back, and that was the end of the conversation.

*****

“She’s a lot like you,” Anna said, flicking her head at his daughter who was with Kody in the corner of the studio, amidst a mountain of crayons and coloring books.

“How so?” he asked, but he already knew what she was going to say.

“Quiet.”

He didn’t respond and her laugh at his subtle stab at a joke brought a smile to his face. “Something wrong with the strong and silent type?”

“Not at all. Just not used to it I guess,” she said. “Now let’s run through it again.”

“Do I really have to smile like an asshole the whole time?” he whined.

“Yes, you do. The Jive is a happy dance, so be happy.”

“I am happy,” he deadpanned.

She laughed again. “Well you have a funny way of showing it, now come on, lets go through it again.” She playfully smacked his chest.

They danced in hold and side by side, their feet kicking and flicking furiously. He was glad for his football training drills that had taught him quick footwork, even though it had taken him three days to remember all the steps. They had run through the dance at least a hundred more times throughout the rest of the week so that the choreography would not escape him on show night.

Three more run-trough’s before they quit for the day and Kristoff was breathing hard, sweat beading his brow. Anna eyed him, chest heaving. “You going to be ready for this tomorrow?” 

“I sure hope so,” he said.

*****

Kristoff woke from the nightmare, gasping. It took him a minute to realize he was safe and sound in his own bed. He looked around the dark room, trying to shake the images from his mind, glad that the demons were gone.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. 

“Christ,” he whispered. Why did he always have these dreams on a night where he needed the sleep? He looked at the clock which read 3:35 in the morning.

He rolled his eyes and muttered curse words all the way to his bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face and rubbed it furiously. He knew there would be no way he would be able to get back to sleep before his alarm went off.

He snuck quietly past his daughter’s door and went downstairs to make coffee. He watched it while it brewed, lost in his mind once again. He hoped initially that he would get cut from the show in the first few rounds. It was still a very real possibility, but he realized that he wanted to make it further so that he could keep dancing with Anna.

He had looked up some of the future dances he would be doing with her if he made it far into the competition and taken note of some of the holds. The thought of their bodies being so close and intimate made him flush with heat. 

She had shown him no signs of wanting anything more from him than friendship. Hell, she had even called him ‘friend’ several times since that first blow to the gut, but he simply could not help himself. He liked her, a lot. She was just so beautiful, his heart quickened whenever she was in his arms and it was driving him absolutely _crazy._

Kristoff found himself thinking about how her lips would feel on his. Or how her bare skin would feel under his palm. Then of course, how it would feel to be inside of her, making love to her as she moaned his name…

He looked down at his erection. “Fuck,” he muttered, knowing that it was one that he couldn’t just ignore.

*****

They had to dance right after their video package this time, not after the commercial break like last week. They were forced to wait on the dance floor while the video played larger than life above them. 

Kristoff refused to look up, but he could hear it, knowing that Anna pulling him against her chest was far too intimate in front of the audience this time. Instead she talked to him, loudly and non-stop. It was just enough that he was able to make it through the rest without chiding himself on how stupid he looked while he tried to learn the Jive.

Then he was at it again, dancing in front of everyone with his game face, trying furiously to remember the choreography and to smile all at the same time. And just as quickly as it started, it was over, and they were once again facing judgement.

Anna reacted with joy as three 7′s and an enthusiastic 8 from Bruno were announced. Kristoff realized suddenly that he was smiling, genuinely happy and enjoying himself. Not at his dance or his scores, but at Anna bouncing with excitement beside him. 

Erin suddenly stuck the mic in his face and he realized he didn’t hear her question. He could tell he looked like a deer in headlights without having a mirror to see.

Luckily Anna saved him by pushing her face to the mic. “He’s definitely light and quick on his feet for such a big guy,” she said, which brought chuckles all around. 

They watched the rest of the dances in relative quiet, knowing that there was a double elimination at the end and the time soon came where they found themselves with all the other couples on the dance floor as they awaited their fate. 

Kristoff heard his and Anna’s name announced with a couple others, followed by “You are all safe.”

Anna hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her body without thought and lifted her into the air quickly. She beamed at him when he put her down, and he was glad that, at the very least, he would get at least one more dance with her.

*****

“I found a place,” he said with a mouthful of food. “Not far from here, so it’ll be easier for us.” 

Hans had gotten home after Kody was already in bed, but had actually surprised Anna by being completely sober.

“That’s good,” she said, feeling in a great mood. She was happy to hear that Hans would soon be moving out and not sleeping on the couch. She was also still very happy from finding out Kristoff and her were safe for another week of competition.

There was also the deep sense of relief that the papers were drawn up and ready to sign, that they had easily decided what was his was his, and what was hers was hers. It had made her pause to realize there was very little that they found a need to fight over. She had thought they had shared a lot of interests. Now she realized how wrong she was.

“I’ll set up to move this weekend.” He gave a short laugh. “I’m actually glad we haven’t bothered to collect anything. The move should be pretty easy.”

She nodded, knowing it was true. Their apartment had always been spared the clutter of junk, neither of them being overly sentimental. Except when it came to Kody’s things of course. Anna realized just the other day that his closet was getting full of old clothes that didn’t fit and toys that he no longer played with.

Hans had told her he was getting a new bed for Kody and some things for his room at his new apartment. She was relieved that everything seemed to be going so smoothly. She had expected things to be more painful and drawn-out, but this was clearly something they both wanted and things had progressed with ease.

Hans finished his food and went to grab the envelope that held the papers in it. He pulled them out and grabbed a pen, pausing just before the tip hit the paper. 

“Anna, I was going to sign these without saying a word, but I’m struggling a bit in my mind here.”

Her body clenched with fear, worried over what he was going to say. Was he going to say that he changed his mind and he wanted to work on it? Was he going to say that he still loved her? Was he going to suggest marriage counselors and all that shit so that they could stay together?

“You want this right? No matter what, you want this?” he asked her. She couldn’t tell if his tone was sad, or just curious. She nodded, unable to speak. “No matter what I tell you, because I have to say something, otherwise I think I would feel too guilty for not telling you before it’s a done deal.”

She gulped hard, barely able to raise her voice above a whisper. “Yes. I want this. Please.”

“You will still sign, right? And not make trouble for me after I tell you?”

She nodded, but she saw he was waiting for the words. “I promise,” she added.

He was deathly still for a moment, as if he was thinking about changing his mind, before he finally spoke. “Anna, I cheated on you.”

She wasn’t expecting him to say that, but she found herself unsurprised. It had crossed her mind in the past that he was having an affair, but she had ignored it, hoping that she was just imagining things in her mind. 

“Okay,” she said slowly. Knowing how much this changed everything that was drawn up. She could certainly demand alimony, or child support payments, but they were both so financially stable that they had agreed to part with their own wages and to split what was in their joint account, not wanting to squabble over pennies. Hans had even told her that he wanted her to keep the apartment and he could find something for himself. ‘Easy’ he said, with the bonus he just got from work. 

_Maybe he’s been holding out on you Anna. Maybe he’s worth more than you know._ But she already knew she would not take advantage of his admission. She wanted nothing to do with his money. She had her own and she always did just fine. 

“I will still sign what we’ve agreed upon,” Anna said quietly.

“She’s pregnant.” 

Her mouth dropped at that. A silent ‘what?’ falling from her lips.

“She’s going to be moving in with me. She wants to get married, before the baby gets here.”

Anna was shocked. That changed everything. Kody was going to have a half-sibling and a step mother in a very short time. 

_When did you find out Hans? Was it the night you brought me flowers and told me you would help look after Kody? Were you really going to try and fuck me one more time before you left me to marry your girlfriend?_

“Do you love her?” 

He nodded slowly. “I do.”

Anna found herself shaking. Her emotions were all over the place as she tried to process this new reality. How long was he going to wait to tell her had it not been her who had brought up divorce in the first place? _Is that why this is so easy Hans? You want to get rid of me as quick as possible so you can marry your mistress?_

“When? When will you get married?”

“Next month or two. She’s… just over the first trimester.”

Anna didn’t know what to say. She had nothing to say. She watched as Hans turned his gaze down to the papers and began signing his name. 


	5. Chapter 5

“You seem distracted.”

He was watching her put on her dance shoes, obviously picking up on Anna’s troubled mind.

“I am,” she answered, not looking at him. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

She shook her head. “So this week we got Quickstep.” She stood, but he was suddenly there, right in front of her.

“Tell me.” 

It wasn’t a demand, but it wasn’t exactly a request either. “Not right now.”

“Maybe after?” 

She knew where he was going with that. “Maybe,” was all she offered, but she could not help the tiny smile that pulled at the sides of her mouth.

*****

“Pregnant huh?” Kristoff said with a frown. He still hadn’t met Hans, but he imagined that he must be a real piece of work to cheat on a Goddess. “What an asshole.”

Anna was nodding. “I know right?”

"Have you said anything to Kody?” 

“No, not yet. I uh, we, were planning on sitting him down tonight. To let him know.”

Kristoff sat back in thought. He had a hard time imaging himself in Anna’s shoes. No wonder she had been distracted all day. He wondered how he would feel if Laura was going to have a baby and how they would talk to Autumn about it. His ex had seen a hand full of guys after they separated, but none were serious and none were ever introduced to Autumn. Kristoff himself had not dated since the divorce, focusing instead on raising his daughter, giving her all the free time that he could. 

“How do you think he’ll take it?” He asked finally.

Anna shrugged. “He’s always wanted a sibling, but I don’t know.”

Kristoff could understand that. He knew that Autumn wished she had a sibling. He could tell by how sad she was when her play dates were over and her friend had to go home. He had wanted her to have a sibling. He had wanted to have a big family, actually. Then it all went to hell in the blink of an eye.

“How do you feel about all of this?” he asked, trying not to think about his past and wondering why it was bothering him so much lately.

“Worried. Worried and sick. It makes me sick, does that make sense?” He nodded. “Like, what if she’s a monster? What if she’s mean to Kody, although I don’t think Hans would stand for that but... well, he said he loves her, so I don’t know, and then what if she’s like the best person ever, and Kody loves her? What if he _adores_ her? What if he starts hating it when it’s my turn to take care of him? What if he’s so happy with his new sibling and his new mother that he starts to complain to them that he hates having to go stay with his _biological_ mom because she’s turned into a lonely spinster with a dozen too many cats?” 

“Wow,” Kristoff said with a smile. “Talk faster, we don’t have all day.”

She laughed at his feeble joke and visibly relaxed. She let out a long sigh. “What a clusterfuck.” 

“Yes, yes it is.”

“There is just so many unknowns right now and it’s just...” She threw up her hands.

“Yeah, I get it. But I know for a fact that Kody will always love being with you.”

“I know,” she sighed again. “I know I’m being completely irrational, but my mind is just a fucking mess right now.”

Kristoff let out a short laugh. “Been _there_.”

Anna took a sip of her drink and looked at him over the rim of the glass as she did so. _My word, she is beautiful._ All he wanted to do was kiss her. He had such a hard time meeting her eyes and not staring at those soft lips. For nearly three weeks they had spent almost every day together and he felt his affection for Anna growing. He found himself thinking about her more and more, to the point where he knew he was going to have to tell her sooner or later, lest he actually go insane.

“Kristoff?”

“Hmmm?” he hummed, realizing he had zoned out. His restless sleep was weighing heavily on him.

“Can I ask you something? Personal?” He nodded, reluctantly, suddenly apprehensive with no idea as to why. “How long did you wait after your divorce to date?”

That was a loaded question and she knew it. He could tell by the look on her face. _What is she up to?_ He decided to be honest. 

“Still waiting,” he said carefully.

“You mean you haven’t been with anyone? At all?” 

He slowly shook his head, trying to figure out her game. She had not asked him anything personal about his life since they had talked all those weeks ago. Why was she so curious now?

“What about your ex?”

Laura was the absolute last thing he wanted to talk about at the moment. He felt the rage roll within him at the mere mention of her. “There’s been a few guys, but nothing serious.”

“What about-”

“Anna, you can’t compare my situation to yours, you know.” The words came out angry. They always came out angry when he had to talk about his ex.

She wore her shock openly. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, you did.” She whispered.

He sighed loudly. “Look, Anna, whatever you’re trying to get out of me won’t help you, okay? My situation is so far off from yours it isn’t even funny. What’s the point of these questions anyway? Are you just trying to feel better about yourself by hearing more about my fucked-up past?”

Her eyes narrowed in anger. “You think you know everything about me because I talk a lot, don’t you?”

_Jesus man! Know when to shut your mouth Bjorgman!_

“You don’t know anything about me!” She was doing a piss poor job of keeping her voice low, that was for sure. They were drawing eyes.

“Okay, well this is not where I thought this conversation was going to go, so I’m sorry, okay? Let’s just keep my past out of this one, alright?” Kristoff said in a harsh tone, trying to keep his voice low.

She pursed her lips and remained silent, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Anna, come on this is stupid.”

She scowled at him like a child having a tantrum and said nothing.

“Fine.” He gulped down his half-empty drink in one swig and got up, reaching out his wallet from his back pocket and throwing a handful of bills on the table, very glad that they had both taken their own vehicles.

He walked away without a backwards glance knowing it was wrong. He knew it was so horribly wrong and yet he kept walking, right out the door and to his Jeep. He flung open the door and hopped into the seat, knowing how fucking _wrong_ it was. He started the engine and put the stick shift in reverse before he finally paused. 

_What the fuck are you doing?_

He put the gear in neutral and slammed the parking brake, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. _What the fuck is wrong with you?_

He watched in the rear-view mirror. It took longer than he thought for her to come out. She finally did, eyes cast down to the ground. He slid from his seat and walked up to her as she approached her car.

“I am so sorry,” he whispered when she stopped in front of him. 

Anna didn’t push past him but she absolutely refused to meet his eyes. 

“Please Anna, I know I am a fucking asshole, please. I am _so_ sorry.”

She was so quiet he barely heard her. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Then she walked around him, got into her car and drove away before he could even think to react.

*****

“How come you can get the Jive steps down and you can’t keep up with the quickstep?” Anna huffed at him.

“Because we’re in hold the whole time!” he said, trying to keep his frustration from his voice, knowing that he was not succeeding. He hated it when the cameras were there. Hated it!

“Well we are just going to keep running through it until you get it right.” Anna narrowed her eyes as a silent way to tell him to try and cheer the fuck up for the footage that was going to inevitably be shown. 

“Ok. Let’s go over it again then,” he said, tone as neutral as he could make it. Anna had been absolutely cold to him as soon as he stepped foot in the studio that morning and it had made him instantly mad. What right did she have to be pissed off anyway? Because he didn’t want to tell her that he hadn’t had sex with anyone since Laura? That his ex was dating, while he was still stuck in the past, struggling to move on from such a complete and utter betrayal? No, she had no right to be upset.

But he knew he was wrong. He knew she was just trying to use his situation to help her figure out her own, and why had that pissed him off so much anyway? Why did it feel like she was trying to toy with him? Why did it _hurt_ him? 

“No, no, no. Start over, you messed it up,” she said through teeth she was clearly trying not to clench in frustration.

“You know what?” Kristoff said, dropping his arms heavily at his sides. “I think I just need to get a little air and re-group.” He gave her a disastrously fake smile and walked out of the studio. He didn’t look behind him as he navigated through the long hallways, desperately hoping that no one was following him. 

He got outside and walked to his Jeep, rolling down all the windows when he got in and reclining the seat, laying back with his eyes closed. It wasn’t too long before he heard his passenger door open and shut. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know who was there. He could smell her sweet scent; whatever delightful deodorant she chose to wear and the flowery smell of her shampoo.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” 

“We’ve already established that,” he said, not opening his eyes.

“You asked me to tell you what was going on, remember? You said it was okay to ask you a personal question, _remember_?”

“Yes, and yes.”

“Then what the _fuck_?”

He sat up quickly and looked at her. “I don’t know, okay? I have no idea why I went off like that. I’ve never acted like that in my life and I’m ashamed of myself.”

“Then why-”

“Anna, I don’t have any answers for you. Even now I don’t. I just can’t talk about my past with you anymore, okay?”

“I want to know _why_.”

“Because of the way I feel about you,” he said, before he could stop himself.

“Oh. I see,” she said slowly. “Well okay then, we can keep things strictly professional from now on and we don’t have to interact more than absolutely necessary.”

He shook his head. “Wrong end of the spectrum, Anna,” he muttered and leaned back and closed his eyes again, hoping that she understood what he meant. 

Finally, he heard a quiet “ _Oh”,_ then the sound of her sliding from his Jeep and shutting the door. 

_Good job, Bjorgman. Way to fuck things up. You really are an asshole._

He laid in his Jeep for a long time, almost actually finding sleep before he figured he should go back and talk to Anna. In the studio the crew was gone and she was running through some choreography in front of the mirror. 

“You ready to get back at it?” she asked, tentative, like she knew she needed to reign it in around him now, lest he get the wrong idea that she was actually interested in him too.

He sighed and nodded.

*****

“You were too distracted,” she said into his ear as they waited for Tom to tell them their fate. 

“I am fully aware of that,” he talked out the side of his mouth with a fake smile on his face while they readied to get back from commercial break. His scores were worse than his first dance since he had conveniently lost his pace in the middle of the dance and completely forgotten the choreography by the end. Anna had dragged him along through the rest, barking at him through a smile the steps that he was supposed to be taking. The judges, in his opinion, had been too kind to give him all 6′s. He thought he deserved much less.

The next thing he knew his name was being mentioned. “Kristoff and Anna, you.... are in jeopardy.”

Anna made a show of rubbing his back in encouragement but he knew it was all fake. They had struggled so much in the week and Kristoff had to watch it all play out in front of him before the dance. Anna hadn’t offered him any distractions through it. He knew he didn’t deserve any, especially watching the obvious tension between them on the screen. 

Anna had not uttered a single word about what he had told her in his Jeep. Kristoff was upset that she hadn’t, but he was also a little relieved to know that she had absolutely zero interest in him. At least now, with the careful distance she was putting between them, he could try and focus on detaching himself from his feelings for her. The rest of the week she had made it abundantly clear that their relationship was strictly professional. He had heard nothing from her mouth besides talk of the show and the dances. Gone were the musings of her son, or the complaints about her ex. She even stopped the idle chit chat, like how the weather was so nice, or how she started a new book that was interesting. 

His performance was clearly affected by the tension between them that week and having to watch it replayed was torture. _Maybe it wasn’t the video package that threw you off. Maybe it was because now you know you have no shot with Anna._

The music changed and he realized as he looked at the couple standing beside them swathed in a spotlight, that he was about to get kicked off the show. 

He didn’t even know what was happening when he did not hear his or Anna’s name. She was suddenly hugging him to her, showing gratitude that they had been spared, even though he knew it was all a lie. Deep down inside she was probably devastated to have to dance with him another week. 

She was impossibly quiet as they got back to the dressing room to get back into their normal clothes. She kept stealing frustrated sideways glances at his unwavering gaze.

“Anna,” he started.

“No. We are not talking about it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

He was left watching after her as she all but ran from the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Anna was nervous. Very nervous. She paced the room waiting for him to get there, wondering how this was going to work given her feelings and their shit performance of the Quickstep the night before.

She let out deep breaths as she walked all over the floor, contemplating why he was so late. _Probably had enough of the way you’ve been treating him._ Anna shook her hands and sighed, trying to rid herself of the nerves that were building up within her.

When he finally decided to grace her with his presence, she wasted no time in telling him as soon as he walked in the door. 

“We have the Rumba this week.” 

“Oh?” he said, stopping at her gaze. Then realization danced across his face. “Ohhh!”

She wrung her hands nervously, unable to look at him, not sure of what to say. She knew what she had to tell him, but she didn’t know if she could actually call the words forth to her tongue. She knew she had to…

“Look Anna, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” he said quietly, interrupting her mind’s flurry. “I’m sorry for everything and I’m sorry you had to get partnered with me. I’ll fake an injury so I can bow out. Then you can be done with me.” 

She met his eyes and the sadness she saw there crushed her.   
  


_Just tell him!_ Her mind screamed. _You are torturing him, just look at his face!_ She wanted to kiss him, good God, she wanted to kiss him. But she had to think about Kody. She had to remember how shocked he had been when they had told him that he was going to have a new step-mother and a sibling very soon. His confused tears had stabbed her in the heart and she knew that no matter how she felt about this gorgeous, blond, mountain of a man in front of her, she would have to wait. For the sake of her son, she wanted to remain single until he was able to understand the delicate situation better.

She was about to tell Kristoff another lie, when the truth fell from her lips. 

“He won’t meet her. He’s scared. He’s worried that he’s being replaced and he can’t understand what’s going on. I thought he understood about divorce; about parents separating, but I realize now that he doesn’t! I’m pretty sure he thought we were going to just be separated for a while and we would get back together or something, and now he refuses to go stay with his Dad, even though it’s his first turn next week and…”

Kristoff’s strong arms enfolded her to his chest and she was shocked into silence. She needed to pull away despite wanting to push further into his embrace. Tentatively, she rested her cheek above his heart, calmed by the strong steady beat, and made her decision. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back as she broke down into tears over Kody and tears over not being able to tell Kristoff her true feelings for him.

*****

Kristoff was relieved that Anna had finally opened up to him after a week of nothing. She had apologized about her distance and reaffirmed that she wanted and valued his friendship. He was glad that at the very least, she didn’t hate his guts, and had forgiven him for being an asshole.

He knew with time that he could think about Anna as a friend instead of a love interest. It would take time. Lots and lots of time. As they ran through the steps for the dance and she showed him some basic holds, he knew it would take even _more_ time. But he was glad to be able to keep her in his life, even if it wasn’t how he wanted it to be.

“You have to dance with passion,” she was telling him as she played off the blush to her cheeks, since she was now aware of his feelings towards her. At least she had never brought _that_ up. He was perfectly fine pretending he had never said anything.

She pushed him and pulled him all day to make him understand that he needed fluidity in his movements, that he needed to dance in a way that he had not done yet.

“Can I ask you a favor?” she said at the end of the day when they were releasing their sore feet from the dance shoes. “My sister is coming back from her trip on Sunday and I was wondering if her and Kody could sit with Gerda and Autumn on Monday night? That way the kids can have fun?”

“Sure, of course. Autumn would love that. She talks about Kody all the time.” He admitted with a smile.

Anna laughed. “Kody talks about Autumn too. We’ll have to arrange another play date soon.”

He smiled and nodded but said nothing.

“Thank You Kristoff, I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” he mumbled softly. _Anything for you Anna. Anything._

*****

Day three of learning the Rumba with Anna and the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to Kristoff in his life, happened. 

He didn’t even realize it was happening until it was too late. He knew as soon as Anna went back into the hold that she could feel it, pressed up against her belly. Her eyes widened in shock and Kristoff found himself running from the room, thanking his lucky fucking stars that the camera crew had just left.

In the bathroom he looked down at his raging hard-on with complete horror. How the hell had that snuck up on him so quickly? He knew he was distracted by Anna’s body moving around beneath his hands, but honest to goodness, he had no idea what his stupid dick was doing while he was concentrating on learning the holds. _You’ve been chubby since you met her, you really think that wasn’t going to happen?_

He didn’t even go back to change his shoes or get his things. He was overly glad his phone and keys were in his pockets, so he went straight to his Jeep and drove home. 

*****

Laying in bed that night, completely mortified with himself, he knew it was going to be impossible to sleep. He heard his phone; a text from Anna.

_You’re not the first that’s ever happened to you know_

“Fuck,” he said slowly, really not wanting to bring it back so vividly in his mind. He threw the phone on the nightstand, no idea what he would even say to her. It wasn’t long before his phone dinged again.

_Please don’t be embarrassed. It’s completely natural._

He didn’t even open the text to show her it had been read. He turned his phone on silent and rolled over to try and find some sleep that he knew wouldn’t come easy.

*****

Anna stared at her phone and sighed. She put it on the nightstand and laid back down in bed. She hoped that the next morning if she just played it off like nothing happened, that everything would go back to normal. The fact that he had looked so disgusted with himself almost made her laugh. He obviously had no clue how flattering she thought it was and how flustered it made her feel. How could he, since she had lied to him about only wanting to be friends.

She closed her eyes and let her mind be consumed by it, relishing in the memory of the way he felt against her, allowing herself to give into pleasure, all the while imaging his body with hers. When she reached the release she so desperately needed, it was Kristoff’s name that fell silently from her lips.

*****

“Are you ready for this?” she asked.

“No.” Kristoff’s voice shook. He was absolutely not ready. He never would be ready. To have his very real passion that he felt for Anna come through in this dance was an absolute nightmare. And they were about to do it on live TV!

“Kristoff, you have the dance nailed. You’ll do great!” She beamed at him when he heard his voice above him, blaring his training week to the audience.

“Anna, I can’t do this,” he admitted. “I can’t, I just can’t.”

“Yes, you can! You know the choreography like the back of your hand!” Her smile was radiant. “Just remember to act out all the passion that this dance needs.”

“That’s the problem Anna! I’m not acting! I don’t have to! And I can’t do this in front of everyone-” He gasped. “My daughter is in the audience! How can I dance like this in front of my daughter? Oh my God Anna I-”

She dug her nails firmly into his hand and he realized that it was almost time to start. 

“You will make your daughter proud,” she said with so much conviction that he was able to take a delicate hold on his panic. “The judges are going to love it and they are going to see what I see,” she said, as the lights dimmed around them and they took their position. 

_And what is it that you see?_ He wondered. _I feel like sometimes it’s more than you will admit to me._

She popped the only fastened button on his flowing shirt, exposing his chest and looked at him with eyes that said to trust her. He did.

Then all of the sudden he was in the middle of the dance, going through the steps with the memory of the hundreds of times they ran through it, to the point that he knew it would be something he would remember until the day he died. 

His hands on her body, holding her, caressing her, pulling and pushing her as she swayed her hips around him became the only thing in the room. Her blue eyes stayed with him the entire time, silently telling him that he was doing her proud. That in and of itself meant more to him than anything in the world besides his daughter. 

Their last pose, her gripping him on the chest with his hands on the side of her face, their lips but a mere breath apart, Kristoff realized that he was in love with Anna. She held her position for a second before breaking and grinning at him from ear to ear and hugging him tightly in triumph. He let out the breath he didn’t even know he had been holding and wondered how he was going to continue being friends with someone he was head over heels in love with. 

He looked over to his daughter in the front row. She was standing and clapping for him beside Kody and the look on her face nearly broke him. It took every single bit of strength he had not to break down into tears as he fought vehemently against the lump in his throat. She was proud. His daughter was proud. He waved at her and blew her a kiss as they made their way to the judges.

Standing for judgement this time made him more nervous than any time before. He was absolutely floored by the judge’s comments and even more so by the pair of eights and nines that followed.

Anna was a ball of energy at his side the rest of the night.

****

Anna knew they would be safe with those scores and she was happy that it had launched them to a third-place position from the top of the leader board. She knew that it was a dance that had broken them through. It had broken Kristoff through. She could see it in the reaction of the crowd and the judges. They now knew he was there to play, and he was there to win. Every dance next would just get better and better, and with the most memorable year theme around their dance next week, she knew it would be a home run because she knew exactly what year he was going to focus on. She hoped beyond hope that they would have a good dance to match.

When the show was done, Kristoff and Anna found their way through the crowd and hugged their kids furiously. Anna introduced Kristoff to her sister, and they parted with their own families with promises of getting together for dinner hanging in the air. 

Anna talked her sister’s ear off the whole way home while Kody slept in the back, filling her in on Hans and the divorce, his new baby-mama that he had cheated on her with, and how she admired Kristoff and how much potential he had to win, and so many other things all at once that Elsa had told her that she needed to slow down and give her more details. 

That night after a few glasses of wine, Anna admitted to her sister the true feelings she had for her burly dance partner.

“Wow, why don’t you tell him then? Sounds like he is really into you.”

“Oh Elsa, he is. I can see it every time he looks at me and it makes me feel so wonderful, I can’t even explain it. But Kody is still struggling with his Dad’s situation so I just can’t bring myself to say anything.”

“Sounds like that is going to make you both miserable. Especially since you will be spending a lot more time together now that you’re top three.”

“You understand why I can’t say anything though, don’t you?”

Elsa nodded. “Well, I hope for your sake that Kody comes around soon. I know that is a horrible thing to say, but Anna, I just want you to be happy. You realize that you telling me all about Kristoff on the way home was the happiest I have seen you since… well, since Kody was born.”

“It is?”

“Yes. And I have to tell you, watching you two dance together… you can see the chemistry between you. Even the judges commented on that.”

“Yeah, but they always have comments on that…”

“Anna, I was in the audience. It was… _my God_ , it was just written all over your faces. Either that, or you two are the worlds best actors.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad…” her voice trailed off. She knew how unguarded Kristoff was. He had even told her before the dance how real it was for him for goodness sake. What she hadn’t realized, was that she had also let her own feelings come through unabashed.

Elsa was laughing. “You should see the comments on twitter.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “ _You,_ are on twitter _?”_

Elsa shrugged. “I was in Spain! I couldn’t watch the show, but I wanted to see how you were doing, so yeah, I joined to see what people were saying. You should see what they’re saying tonight.”

“What? Show me!” Anna demanded. Elsa pulled it up on her phone and handed it to her sister. “Oh, my God!” Anna breathed. The tongues were certainly wagging.


	7. Chapter 7

“Ok, just start talking about why it’s your most memorable year and we’ll kind of prompt you as we go along okay?” 

The producer was talking but Kristoff was distracted by the person attaching the mic to his shirt. For how many times he had this done already, he thought he would be used to it, but it was just as uncomfortable as the first time.

He hated these chair interviews where it was just him and the cameras. He was thankful this time that Anna stood in the room, wanting to hear what he said so that she could choreograph a dance for him. The room fell quiet and they signaled Kristoff to start talking

“My most memorable year was 2011, when my daughter was born,” he started, pulling up the day in his mind and the first time he held her in his arms. He wasn’t sure how he was going to elaborate on how that year affected him for the camera until he realized that he had already started talking form memory.

He let his words come honestly, knowing it was better than trying to fumble his way through some guarded reasons. When asked why he hadn’t chosen the year that his team won the Superbowl, he answered them honestly that it was still nothing compared to the day his daughter came into his life. Then they prompted him about how his daughter had been in the audience for all the dances and how she was proud of him, and Kristoff began talking on that, of how his daughter was the one who made him proud every day. He was prepared to talk about it, at length, but what he wasn’t prepared for, was the emotion that came along with talking about Autumn. Before he could stop himself there were tears coursing down his cheeks. 

He stopped talking, looking to Anna for strength, but she was no help. Her own tears were flowing, her hand covered her mouth against what he knew were her own thoughts and love for her son. 

“We'll break.” The producer said, then suddenly Anna was on him, pushing herself into his arms before he could get up. 

“Kristoff, that was so beautiful,” she said. “You broke my heart. You are so loving...” She trailed off into a small sob.

Kristoff buried his tear stained face into her neck for comfort, trying to reign in his emotions so that they could get this blasted interview over with. He breathed her in. He couldn't help it. She just felt so good in his arms, he never wanted to let her go.

Anna pulled back and looked up, opening her mouth, but she stopped before she spoke, instead taking to her feet and walking quickly out of the room.

Kristoff desperately wondered what she was going to say. He rubbed his face and turned back to the camera, telling them he was ready to finish, but they said that they had everything they needed for the package. His eyes narrowed at the fact that the red light on the camera darkened as soon as they said that. Then they ushered him from the room before he could ask about it.

*****

He found Anna in the studio, looking at their information sheet. 

“We have the Waltz,” she said, as he came up to stand behind her. “They’ll get us the music by the end of the day.”

“Anna, do you think that they-” 

He stopped short when she turned around and pushed herself against him. He was surprised, but he instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“Kristoff, this is hard. This is so hard on me, because I want to tell you things, but I simply can’t okay? I can’t elaborate and I won’t speak of it again, but I need you to know that I think you are the most wonderful, loving, caring... beautiful and strong man I have ever met.” She pushed out of his embrace without meeting his eyes and left the studio without another word.

Kristoff raked both hands through his hair and sat on the floor with his back propped up against the wall. _What the hell does that mean?_

He had ample time to think about it. He almost thought that maybe Anna had actually left before she finally came back in. “Alright, let’s learn the Waltz!” she said as she clapped her hands together, acting as though nothing had changed.

*****

“Daddy?” 

“Yeah sweetheart?” Kristoff said, realizing he had zoned out in thought again. He kept mulling over Anna’s words. They had weighed heavily on his mind all day.

“When the show is over, will you and Miss Arendelle still be friends?”

“I think so. We get along very well."

“Do you like her?”

Kristoff blinked at his daughter. Wow was he unprepared for that question. He immediately felt his cheeks heat up. “I, uh,” He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah, I do like her.”

“Do you think she likes you too?”

 _Oh, I can only hope and pray that she does._ “Not sure. Why do you ask?”

“Because you guys are really happy when you’re talking and dancing. And I like Kody. He’s fun to play with. Maybe, if you guys got married, we could all live together?”

Kristoff hugged his daughter, amazed again at how she was wise beyond her years, lightly rested his chin on the top her head trying to keep his composure. 

“That would be nice,” he whispered, doing his best to push down the searing hot lump in his throat. “But for now, let’s just keep that between us okay?”

She nodded against him. “Okay Daddy.”

*****

“Goodnight little man,” Anna said and kissed Kody on the forehead.

“Goodnight Mama,” he said quietly.

Anna was just about to shut the door behind her when he spoke again. “Are you mad at Daddy?”

Anna sighed inwardly and walked back into the room, sitting on the end of the bed, preparing to be honest with her son. “No, I am not Kody. I was, but not anymore.”

“How come?”

“Because your Dad is happy and that’s what matters.”

“Why can’t he be happy with us?”

The look on her son’s face nearly killed her. “He is happy with us sweetheart. Your father and I are just both happier being friends, do you understand that? He is happy with his new fiancé and someday,later, I will be happy with another person as well. It doesn’t mean you will be loved any less. It just means that there will be more people to love you, and we will all be one big happy family. Does that... make sense?”

He nodded, but she could tell his tired mind that was still struggling. “Can I play with Autumn again soon? She has cool stories.”

“Sure thing, buddy,” Anna said, tousling her sons hair and walking to the door again.

“I like her Dad.”

She paused in the doorway. “You do?”

“Yeah, he’s got the best jokes. And the other day he promised to teach me how to throw a football.” He yawned.

“He did, did he?”

Her son nodded and closed his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t wait. I hope you guys win Mama.”

She smiled at her son with her aching heart. “Goodnight Angel.”

"Goodnight,” he sighed.

Anna stood and watched him for a minute as he fell asleep before she quietly closed the door behind her. _Where did those five years go,_ she wondered, and not for the first time.

*****

Anna yawned as she sat in a chair and waited for Kristoff. She had woken early and decided to get to the studio and finish working out the choreography for their Waltz. It was such an important dance to Kirstoff that she simply could not fail him with inadequate content.

She had to bite the inside of her cheek when he walked in. He was wearing that grey pair of sweatpants again with the stitching on the sides that made him just look oh so.... _Holy fucking hell he is so fucking hot I could scream._

He bid her a cheerful good morning and set about putting on his shoes and stretching himself out. Anna could simply not tear her eyes away from him as she pretended to do the same. She had no idea what is was about hot guys in sweatpants, but Kristoff made her absolutely weak in the knees. _You_ _know full well it’s because you can see the bulge of his dick!_

He arched his back in a stretch and she felt the fire ignite within her. She had to mentally shake her head to push the desire from her mind. All day she had to remind herself that his eyes were on his face and to stop stealing glances at his crotch.

*****

Kristoff drove home on Sunday night with extra nerves for the show day tomorrow. He knew it was going to be emotional and he honestly wondered how he was going to prepare for such a ride. He didn’t know how he was going to watch himself get all emotional in the video package and he wondered if they filmed the tender hug between him and Anna. He could only assume that they had.

All week Anna had been true to her word about not mentioning anything about what she had said to him about what she apparently thought about his character. He had wanted to ask, so many times he had the words at the tip of his tongue, but he knew it would upset her. For now, he just wanted to make sure that they got this dance right since it was dedicated to his daughter.

Still her words haunted him, because he understood now why she had said them, and he had no idea what to do about it. 

*****

“Do you want me to distract you?” she asked before they played the video.

“No,” he deadpanned, eyes forward above her head with his _Game Face_ on.

“Are you okay?”

“No.” Still not meeting her eyes.

“You’re like this before every dance and you still manage to make out great.”

No answer.

 _Dammit look at me_. “Kristoff just remember to-”

“Shhhhhhhhhhh.” His eyes grew wider. When was the last time she saw him blink, for Gods sake?

She was unable to pull her gaze from his face as she heard his voice above them. He remained stoic even as they showed him breaking down when he talked about his daughter, then sure enough, showed Anna rushing to him and hugging him. She looked for any sign that it was getting through to him. From the bobbing up and down of his Adam’s apple, she knew it was. She could recognize the signs of trying not to cry. 

They took their position without word and he finally looked down at her with a soft relaxation on his face. Whenall the bullshit was over and he could finally dance with her, he looked upon her with that face. _His Dance Face._

He led her. He actually led _her_ through the dance and she let him. His confidence was through the roof and she knew for a fact that it was because he wasn’t dancing for himself. He was dancing for his daughter. He was dancing for love. He was dancing with his heart on his sleeve and he was beautiful. 

As planned, instead of the last hold, Anna let him go with a flouring of her hands into a graceful bow and he walked to Autumn sitting in the front row, collapsing on his knees and pulling her into his arms as she launched herself at him. The crowd was immediately on their feet, cheering and clapping.

Anna didn't have to see his face to know that he was sobbing. She could see his back heave as he hugged his daughter, buried in the mass of his body with her little arms squeezing him around his neck. It made Anna weak and her own tears came without mercy. 

Kristoff finally released her and straightened; he made no effort to wipe his cheeks. Anna knew he was too caught up in the moment to care.

He walked to Anna and pulled her into a fierce hug, lifting her completely off the ground with his face pushed tenderly into her neck. Her mind whirled with his mouth against her skin. Then it was gone too quickly and she was placed back on her feet. Did his lips linger ever so slightly? _Did he kiss your neck?_

They took their position for judgement and the room fell eerily silent as they waited for Carrie-Ann to talk first. She was emotional and it took her a moment to find her voice.

She gushed at them. She gushed at the beauty and the emotion and the strength and everything else. They all did. There were comments for the choreography, his form, the _chemistry,_ and everything else that Kristoff had done perfectly. 

With the three 10′s and a 9 from Len, they both knew that they would be safe, and they hugged again with unabashed happiness while the crowd went wild.

*****

“I don’t have to say anything do I?”

“No, you certainly don’t,” Anna said to her sister as they sat in the living room after tucking Kody into bed.

“You know I’m going to though, right?”

Anna smiled despite herself. “Yeah, I figured it was coming.”

“Anna, you _have_ to tell him. That man is in love with you.”

Anna looked at her sharply. “Kristoff, _loves_ me?” 

Elsa nodded, but Anna shook her head. “No, we’ve only known each other for just over a month. He just likes me is all. Probably just wants to get into my pants,” she laughed awkwardly at her own horrible joke, knowing full well that Kristoff was not that type of man.

Elsa regarded her with pity. “How come everyone can see it except you?”

“Okay, but even if he does, what am I supposed to do Elsa? Every time I talk to Kody about going to his Dad’s he gets scared and starts to cry. I even tried to arrange him to meet her beforehand, but he’s just so unreceptive to all of this. Even Hans agreed to let him stay with me until he warms to the idea.”

“But you haven’t met her yet either?”

“No. Why?”

“Maybe you should.” Elsa shrugged.

Anna nodded, knowing that her sister was right. She had been putting it off, but it was time to bite the bullet and meet the woman who would be giving Kody a half-sibling.

*****

Anna woke bright an early, happy to get to the studio and find out what dance she would get to teach Kristoff next, but the look on her sister’s face when she walked into the kitchen, made her stop dead in her tracks.

“What, what is it?” 

Elsa handed Anna her phone. “It’s all over the place. I’m sorry Anna.”

She grabbed the phone and slowly turned her eyes to the screen. What she read shocked her.


	8. Chapter 8

Kristoff walked into the studio and found Anna sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her head buried in her arms. Worry instantly rolled within him.

“Anna, are you okay?” he said rushing to her and dropping his bag. He knelt in front of her and gently placed his hand on her arm. He expected to see tears in her eyes, instead he saw a mixture of pain and anger when she lifted her head.

“No. Do you hear what they’re saying about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“All over social media! Its a scandal!” She threw her hands up. “Apparently I cheated on my husband with you and he divorced _me!_ Now people are saying that we are an item and they’re attacking me for my character and they are going to drag you through the dirt with me.” She let out a frustrated breath.

“Don’t worry about me. People can say what they want, I know it’s not the truth.”

“Oh Kristoff, you have no idea how scandalous it is when one of the pro’s gets involved with the star they’re paired with.”

“Anna, we’re not involved,” he said carefully.

She sucked in a quick breath, but he saw her recover quickly. “I know, but they think we are so… scandal!”

Kristoff frowned. “We’re friends, right?” The words hurt to say. She nodded. “Then who cares what they think. Nobody cares about that gossip bullshit anyway.” 

“People on twitter apparently do. This is even worse than after we danced the Rumba and people were going off about what’s going on between us,” Anna said and held her phone out to Kristoff to see.

He didn’t take it from her. He simply pushed it down between them. “What is going on between us?” He had to ask, needing to know if she was ready to talk about it. 

As soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. She was so far from ready it wasn’t even funny. “Let’s just learn this dance then,” he smiled at her.

She managed a smile in return. “Well it’s Latin night and we got the Samba. It’s a very sexy dance….” Her eyes went wide and she immediately blushed. “That is to say…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Let’s just focus on the dance and we’ll leave all the other stuff out of it for now, okay? Just pretend it isn’t there.”

Her relief was less than subtle. 

*****

“I met her,” Anna said out of the blue, a couple of days into learning the Samba.

Kristoff looked up from his seat against the wall where he was catching his breath. “The mistress?”

Anna nodded. “Her name is Brooke. She was very apologetic.”

Kristoff had to laugh at that. “Well, I would hope so.”

“It wasn’t her fault. Hans never told her he was married.” She sank down beside him against the wall.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” 

“She’s very nice. A lot younger than I would have thought, but I guess that’s what guys look for when they step out to cheat on their wives.”

Kristoff had to smile at the way that there was humor in her voice. She certainly wasn’t bitter about it. He wished that he could not be bitter about his ex. That however, was impossible.

“I talked to Kody and next week we are going to meet them in the park. Neutral ground, you know? Just me, my son, my ex and his new lover. Not awkward at all, right?”

Kristoff laughed and he was delighted when Anna joined him.

“I hope it goes well. I hope that Kody can see that everything will be okay,” he said.

Kristoff instinctively put his arm around her and she leaned into him. It made him smile how comfortable they were with each other even though the words had never been uttered. He knew in his gut they would soon talk about things. For now, he was happy simply to have her warmth at his side.

*****

“I have to drop my daughter off tonight. Can we cut it a little early today? I want to take her to the park first.”

Anna swiped her arm across the sweat on her brow. “Of course. You’re doing great anyway.”

Kristoff nodded as took a seat to remove his shoes. Anna could not help but watch him. She had to laugh to herself at the sheer size of his shoes as he took them off his feet. She had been thinking about what he looked like naked since the day he had pressed his desire up against her while learning the Rumba. 

“Anna?”

“Huh, what?” She was pulled from her mental images.

“I said, I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

_God that curious smile, I just want to eat him up!_ “Sure thing, see you tomorrow.”

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he smiled a little wider before he left the room. Anna could not help but watch his perfect ass as walked away.

*****

Kristoff was different when his daughter was with her mother. All weekend he was void of a smile and he was as quiet as ever.

Anna had wanted to talk to him about it. She wanted to say something encouraging, but she knew there was nothing she could say that would make it better. She herself hadn’t even been faced with any time away from Kody yet, and she knew that when she did, she would feel the ache of him being gone as well. At least in her case, Hans wasn’t a monster. Anna shuddered at the thought of Kristoff’s ex wife. _I hope I never have to meet that woman._

“Can we quit after this one? I gotta go pick up Autumn.” He said towards the end of the day, finally showing a glimmer of his happier self. 

“Of course. Let’s just quit now.”

He smiled. “Thanks.” He rushed over to the chairs, hastily removed his shoes and stuffed all his things into his bag. “See you tomorrow,” he called as he was half way out the door.

“See you tomorrow,” Anna said to the empty room.

*****

“Daddy!” Autumn squealed as she jumped into her arms.

“Hi pumpkin,” Kristoff said, kneeling and hugging his daughter tight, glad that she was safe with him once again. 

“It’s been four years you know,” Laura said from the doorway.

Kristoff looked at her, smile disappearing from his face as he remained crouched with his daughter still in his arms. Laura wore her disgust openly and it made him cringe.

“And?” he asked, hoping that she was smarter than to say what he thought she was going to say.

“And it’s time that you let me get these chaperones off my back and grant me joint custody so I can see my daughter more. It’s time that you start remembering that _I_ am the one who gave birth to her. I need you to go down with me and get it changed.”

Kristoff clamped is jaw down tightly for a second before whispering in his daughters’ ear. “Go hop in the car sweetie, I’m just going to talk with you mom for a second, okay?” Autumn looked at him apprehensively and he felt the white-hot rage roll up within him, but she offered him a small smile and went to his Jeep.

Kristoff stood, his hands clamping into fists so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms. He couldn’t even part his teeth he was so mad. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you not to talk about that shit in from of Autumn?” 

“Oh please…”

“No!” Kristoff took an angry step towards her and her expression faltered and she took a few steps back into the house. “I have told you time and time again Laura, under no circumstances are you to bring up our past or the custody arrangement in front of Autumn. After all those years we spent together and everything I told you, you still can’t fucking remember that?”

“She’s five and a half, she’s old enough-”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Kristoff threw his hands up, incredulous. “Have you gone bat-shit crazy? For the love of God Laura, are you out of your fucking mind?” He was having a hard time wrapping his head around how she was acting. Four years and all she did was snark at him about the arrangement from time to time. Now she was demanding that he get it changed?

Laura crossed her arms. “Have you asked Autumn what she wants? Because I bet if you did, she would tell you that she wants to spend more time with me.” 

Kristoff stared at his ever-defiant bitch of an ex. _How in the name of all that is good and holy in this world, did I ever love this woman?_ He was going to say more, wanted to say more, but he turned on his heels and walked to the car without another.

“Ask her.” He could hear Laura’s shrill voice call after him. “Ask Autumn what she wants.”

*****

Anna pulled into the lot right as Kristoff was getting out of his Jeep. He lingered, waiting for her to park and join him. 

She frowned as she approached him. “You look tired.” 

Despite his inner turmoil, he couldn’t help himself but laugh. “That’s a nice way of saying _you look like shit_.”

“No, I swear, I just meant tired.” But she was laughing too.

He stood there for a moment just taking her in, knowing that it was now or never. “Anna, about what you said to me last week…”

Her smile disappeared. “Please Kristoff. I can’t talk about it. Not right now.”

“Do you care about me?” He decided he was done with talking around the issue.

“Of course I do.”

“More than a friend?” he said gently. Her silence spoke volumes. “But you can’t tell me because you want to protect your son and not bring anyone into your life right now.”

Her face contorted and she let out a soft sob. Kristoff pulled her to his chest, finally glad to know the truth. 

“Anna, it’s okay. Please, don’t cry. I understand, okay? Why do you think I haven’t seen anyone since Laura? I understand.”

“I’m so sorry Kristoff.” She said into his shirt. “I’m so sorry that this is happening.”

He hugged her tighter. “I’ll wait for you,” he whispered.

She pushed back to look at his face. “What?”

“I will wait. For you. For when Kody is older and you are ready. If you want me to.”

“What if-”

“However long it takes,” he interrupted her.

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve already made up my mind.”

She sucked in a breath and her eyes fell to his lips a half a second before she smashed hers up against them. He staggered on his feet, surprised by her force, then quickly leaning back into her with his own yearning.

He hugged her tight as their lips parted at the same time, allowing each other the access they desired. He held on to her for dear life of the joy and relief he felt just to be able to kiss her, to finally know what her soft lips felt like, to be able to slide his tongue into her mouth and _taste_ her. 

She pulled away from him too quickly, leaving him wanting more. Anna looked up at him, breathing quickly. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time or the place,” she looked around then, seeing if there were eyes on them, or worse, a camera.

Kristoff had to agree despite what his body was screaming at him. He put his arms around her shoulders and they walked inside to the studio. His heart was hammering and his stomach was doing flips. He was just so happy to finally know that she had the same feelings for him, it made him absolutely giddy.

“We need to talk about this,” Anna said, leaning up against a wall and sliding down. Kristoff nodded and took a seat facing her, crossing his legs under him and making sure that his legs were pressed up against hers.

“Kristoff I am just so into you it isn’t even funny.” He blushed at her words, relishing again in the way it made him feel. “Like, my God, I think about you all the time and what it would be like to…” She cleared her throat. “But, until things with my family are running smoothly, I just can’t start anything that I won’t be able to put the brakes on, you know?”

“I understand, and I meant what I said.”

She nodded. “We have to continue being friends, just for now. Even though I know for a fact that you are still thinking about that kiss.”

“So are you,” he teased, absolutely delighted with the lustful look in her eyes.

Her eyes went to his lips again and he wanted her to kiss him. He wanted it so bad. Then she breathed out quickly and looked away. “This is going to be tough.”

Kristoff laughed. “You’re telling me.”

She turned her gaze back to meet his eyes and became serious. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry I kept my feelings from you and made you suffer, knowing full well that you had feelings for me.”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. This is what matters.” He patted his chest where his heart lay. Her smile and understanding in that moment was almost more than he could bare, as she slid her own hand over her own heart and nodded.

“So, what now?” she asked quietly.

“Well, let’s put this,” He gestured with his hand between the two of them. “On the back burner, because if we keep talking about it and looking at each other the way we are, I swear I am going to have to take you to a back room somewhere and have my with you.”

She bit her lip and it gave him deep pleasure to see that she was actually considering it. Then she shook her head. “Not yet.” Her voice was weak.

Kristoff cleared his throat. “Well, on a completely mood killing topic then, I can tell you what my ex said to me last night.”

Anna laughed “okay” and he filled her in on the events. He made sure to carefully skirt around the reasons that he refused to subject Autumn to the nastiness between them. That would be a heavy discussion when and if they ever talked about it.

“So she want’s to make it joint custody all of the sudden?”

Kristoff nodded, still distracted from the kiss. He couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of her mouth. “She never breathed a word about this for four years and drops that bomb on me last night.”

“No wonder you look like shit.”

Kristoff couldn’t stop the sly smile that spread across his face. “Yeah it was a sleepless night, that’s for sure.”

“What are you going to do?”

What was he going to do? He still needed to talk to Autumn, too upset over dealing to Laura to do it last night. And what if she did want to see her mother more? Should he let the whim of an almost 6-year-old dictate what he thought was best for his daughter?

He was about to open his mouth when there was a knock at the door and the camera crew came in, setting up to film for the portion of the day. He looked back to Anna and her eyes said she was sorry.

He mouthed the word _later_ to her and she nodded. It was a show day and he knew it was going to be busy, but he found a happiness that he had not had in a long time and he knew it was showing when the cameras turned on.


	9. Chapter 9

“This has been quite the day, hasn’t it?” Anna mused as the make up people buzzed around their heads, preparing them for the show.

“It sure has,” Kristoff smiled at her. He was glad that the filming on show days was short to accommodate editing for the live broadcast. All the times they practiced the dance in private, they had fully immersed themselves in the enjoyment of touching each other, holding nothing back in the way of where their hands fell as they went through the routine.

Kristoff was especially fond of the Samba roll and the way he got to twist her body along his with his hand was planted firmly underneath her breasts. It was indeed a sexy dance. Even sexier with the future of the horizontal hustle on both their minds.

They did not talk any more about Kristoff’s fight with his ex, but he was actually glad for that. He didn’t want it to distract from the fact that Anna and him now looked at each other like teenagers playing footsie under the table. It was delightful to have a reciprocated feeling, knowing that someday it would lead to something, even though for the time being they had to behave themselves.

When the make-up people parted, Kristoff found himself staring at Anna’s dancer body in her ruffled dress with her midriff exposed and her breasts pushed up and together. He didn’t care that he was blatantly ogling her. He had caught her looking at his crotch many times, after all.

They didn’t talk to much waiting for their turn to dance, knowing that they were mic’d and that anything they said could be used in the video packages. He was thankful that some of the things that had been said between them so far hadn’t been used. There seemed to be a certain amount of tact, but he also knew that if something like the budding romance between them was confirmed with their words to each other, that the producers would not hesitate to use it for ratings.

Kristoff and Anna talked to each other when the video package was being shown, trying to ignore it. He could see in her eyes though, that she understood what was happening on the screen just as well as he did. They were clearly very comfortable with each other in a way that suggested something beyond friendship. _No wonder people have been talking. I can just imagine what this is going to start._

The music started and they began the dance. Kristoff found himself doing what he always did for the performance and focused on Anna’s eyes to help lead him through. It was easier to remember everything she taught him when he did.

They did the Samba roll and it felt so good he knew he nailed it, then he misplaced his foot when they came out and he faltered slightly. He felt Anna’s grip on his shoulder tighten and she pulled him back with ease. He was able to regain the pace quickly but he knew that the mistake would not go unnoticed.

And it didn’t. They had wonderful comments for him, but they did point out his misstep and he ended up with four nines as a result. 

At the end of the night they found themselves in second place and only a few measly points below the pop singer that had been so far dominating the competition. She smiled at Kristoff when they took their place beside the top team for the results. They were all competing but they were all friendly with each other. Kristoff was amused with how comfortable the environment had become now that the few who were being more difficult had already been eliminated from the show. There was a general sense of rooting for each other behind the scenes, something which he was not expecting when he signed onto the show in the first place.

It was no surprise that Kristoff and Anna were announced as safe.

*****

Kristoff tucked Autumn in the back seat as Anna had done with Kody. They still had their hair and make up done, but they were at least comfortable in their own clothes. 

Kristoff hugged Anna Goodnight and she leaned herself tenderly into him. "I really want to kiss you but they kids are awake,” she whispered before she pushed from his embrace.

Kristoff smiled. “It’s okay. I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay.” Anna walked to her car door and looked back at him.

“For what’s worth, I do too,” he said with a wink and blew her a quick kiss before hopping in his Jeep.

*****

He grabbed his phone and texted her as he sat down on his bed. He couldn’t help it. 

_Wish you were here_

He was about to set his phone down when it dinged right away. 

_Ugh, me too._

Kristoff smiled at his screen. _Why don’t you bring Kody and your sister over for a bite tomorrow? I really want to spend some time with you away from that studio._

_Yes! I would love that. We’re in. See you in the morning._

Then another text right after; _I’ll be thinking about you tonight, if you know what I mean._

Kristoff let out a low whistle and texted her back. _My God woman, you do things to me. I will also be thinking of you, if you catch my drift_

_Lol. Goodnight._

_Goodnight_ , he texted, surprised when his fingers almost typed in ‘I love you’. He knew it would have to wait a bit before he dropped that on her too. 

*****

“Did you see this shit?” Anna asked as she walked into the studio with her phone in front of her and her eyes glued to the screen. “They pretty much know there is something going on with us Kristoff!”

He was sitting in the chair, sliding on his shoes. “You shouldn't be reading that garbage you know,” he frowned at her.

She plopped beside him and sighed. “I know. But I was just curious, and then I started reading, and then I saw some things that were really nice, and then ever more things that were incredibly mean and...” Her shoulders slumped. “I know. I am going to delete this fucking thing.”

“I would. People use the anonymity of social media to pray on others and it’s just the worst possible thing I can imagine. God, I fear for our kids.”

Anna nodded, very solemn. “I think about that all the time. I wonder what things are going to be like for them growing up in this day and age. I mean I’ve seen other kids, not much older than ours, with cell phones and tablets and they are on them all the time.”

“I know. And how many times have you been out to a restaurant and seen a couple, or a family even, with their faces looking at screens instead of looking and _talking_ to each other! I swear I die a little inside every time I see that.”

Anna nodded in complete agreement. “Things were just so different for us growing up, weren’t they? I mean come on! When we were kids, _no one_ had a cell phone.”

Kristoff laughed. “Yeah, and we rode our bikes all over the neighborhood and played and our parents just told us to be back before dinner time.”

Anna was nodding. “Remember before CD’s, did you ever have a blank cassette tape in your stereo, and you rush to it and hit record when your favorite song came on the radio?”

“And then listen to it on a Walkman on the bus to and from school.”

“Yeah, and recording your favorite tv show on a VCR timer. Those things were always so hard to figure out.”

“And you’d miss the end or the beginning because the clock wasn’t set quite right.”

Anna laughed. “Or when the tape ran out half way through a show?”

Kristoff laughed with her. “That was always the worst.”

Anna finished giggling and just started at him for a moment, reminiscent smile on his gorgeous face as he looked back at her. It was Kristoff that couldn’t help himself this time. He leaned in and planted his lips on hers before he slid his hand onto her cheek. She felt herself float. Just having him kiss her meant so much more than anything had in a very long time. His lips were incredibly soft, and he tasted absolutely wonderful. Anna found herself running her fingers into his hair as his kisses deepened.

They missed the knock at the door. It wasn't until they heard the footfalls of shoes on the floor that they pulled apart, quickly and embarrassed. The look on the camera mans face said it all. He stood staring at them with his camera hanging in his arm and Anna figured he must be thinking that he should have had been ready, that he should have somehow caught that kiss on tape as fodder for ratings.

Then he just shrugged as it to say it wasn't any of his business and set up as the rest of the crew slowly filtered in after him.

Anna looked at Kristoff and he had the same thoughts echoed in his eyes. _That was a close one._

*****

“I’m glad you guys could come over for dinner.” 

Anna smiled. “Well thank you for inviting us.”

She stood with Kristoff in the kitchen as she helped him gather some drinks for themselves and Elsa, who was entertaining the kids in the living room. Anna had to smile at their delighted giggles. Her sister was a quiet and reserved person, but she was wonderful with kids.

“Hope Pizza is okay. I let the kids pick and that was the consensus. Why do kids like pizza so much anyway?”

Anna laughed. “I know it’s hilarious, and let me guess, you had to order a cheese and pepperoni for Kody.”

“And a Ham and Pineapple for Autumn,” he laughed.

“Too funny! And some adult pizza’s I hope?”

“Oh, you bet. There will be leftover pizza for days I’m sure,” Kristoff said as he led the way out of the kitchen with a beer and a glass of wine in his hand. He handed the wine to Elsa and settled himself on the sofa. Anna tucked herself in beside him, but not too close, since they were still keeping their feelings under wraps.

“You have a lovely home, Kristoff,” Elsa commented. She sat on the love-seat as Autumn and Kody scampered up to her room to play.

“Thank you.”

“So you play football?” Elsa asked him, making the required small talk of someone who was interested in her sister. When Anna had told Kristoff that morning in the studio that she had told her sister what was going on between them, she had expected that he would be upset, but he said he fully understood.

“Uh yes. I’m a Linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.”

“Really?” Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a little far away?”

“Uh, yes, but in the off season a lot of players go back to their home towns. I was born just outside of Los Angeles and went to college here, so I have roots.”

Anna could hear the sting on his voice at those last words, knowing exactly what he meant.

“What do you do during the season?” Elsa was eyeing him now, and ignored the look that Anna tried to give her. She knew her sister was just being protective, but it was coming off as indignant.

“Well, I have an apartment up there, so we live there during the season.”

“You move your daughter every year?”

“Uh yeah. I have been, yeah.”

“Elsa...” Anna said as a warning. This conversation was going way too fast. 

“What about school? Do you put her in different schools when the season is over?”

“Well... I’ve already had to switch her to a kindergarten here after she started in Seattle this year. To be honest I don’t want to do that to her again, especially when she goes full time for grade one in the fall.” Anna noticed his sideways glance at her. “I, uh, was going to sign on for another year, but I think it might be time to retire.”

“Retire?” Elsa chuckled. “You're not that old, are you?”

“Well, I’m 34 now, and it’s hard on the body. I’ve had more concussions than I can count. Most players my age have to make way for the new generation who have so much more energy than us anyway. That and I just think I want a change in my life.” Another sideways glance Anna’s way, with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Elsa, to her credit, actually looked a little shocked and embarrassed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that. I just assumed you guys played until you were like 50 or something.” She laughed nervously. “I guess that shows how little I know about football.”

Anna ignored her sister, suddenly curious about Kristoff handled everything before. “How did you get Autumn to her mother when you’re up in Seattle, or playing across the country for that matter?”

“It was hard, but Gerda was a huge help. I swear I don’t know what I would do without her. She came with us most of the time. There had been a few instances when I’ve had to fly Autumn down myself on a Friday afternoon and then hop right back on a plane to Seattle, but at least it’s only one weekend a month, so really not that bad in the grand scheme of things.”

“Why does Autumn see her mother only once a month?” Elsa asked, then flinched at the look that Kristoff and Anna bother gave her. “Sorry, never mind,” she mumbled.

“Well, lets just talk about something else, shall we?” Anna said and clapped her hands loudly together. They all laughed nervously, but the tension of the conversation hung on them for the rest of the night.

*****

Anna sighed, thinking about the kiss they had shared when Elsa was putting Kody in the car and Autumn had scampered off to her room. It was so passionate it made her knees weak. She knew it was going to happen too. They way Kristoff looked after they hugged goodnight, he all but growled as he took her lips with his. 

“Sorry about tonight,” Elsa said as she came into the kitchen. “I didn’t mean to stir shit up. I’m just curious about him.”

“It's okay, and I understand. If you were to start seeing someone, I’m sure I would do the same.” They both took a seat at the table. “Where are you on that front anyway?”

Elsa shrugged. “Eh. I don’t know. Still don’t know which way I’m leaning to be honest.”

“Well, when you meet that special someone, you’ll know,” Anna smiled.

“Did you feel it when you met Kristoff for the first time, even though you were still married?” Elsa asked.

Anna had to think. She was certainly struck with how handsome he was. And there was something about those warm brown eyes that was simply captivating. She wasn’t her happiest when they met, she knew that, but yes, there was a part of her that was immediately enamored with him. Even if she did ignore it for a time. She nodded slowly. “There was something there, yes.”

She didn’t need to explain herself. She knew Elsa would understand. “So, you take Kody to meet the mistress, er sorry, future step-mom tomorrow afternoon?”

Anna nodded. “I think it’s going to go well. I keep mentioning it to him, and he seems actually excited now. I think he’s getting used to the idea.”

“So, if Kody is cool with it all and has a good time at his Dad’s place, how long before you take that big, blond man to bed?” Her eyebrows raised with humor.

Anna laughed. “Oh Elsa. If everything starts going okay, I will waste no time in sinking my teeth into him. Quite literally,” she winked at her sister as they laughed together.

*****

“Come push me on the swing Daddy!” Kody shouted as he grabbed Hans by the hand and dragged him to the playground. Anna sat beside Brooke on the park bench as they watched him throw an apologetic look over his shoulder as he let his son drag him away. 

“So, you guys are getting married in a few weeks?” Anna asked, trying to keep her tone conversational, since she felt like there was some things that needed to be said.

“Yes, I can't wait. It’s a small ceremony but my family is flying in from the East Coast and I am very excited.”

“Have you given any thought to maybe waiting on the whole marriage thing until you two get a little more... settled with each other?”

Brooke shook her head with all the ignorance that Anna knew was in her. “Oh no, I want to get married before the baby is born. My parents are a little traditional that way and I don’t want to disappoint them.”

“While I can understand that, I just have to ask... _why_ do you want to marry him in the first place?”

She looked shocked. 

“Because he’s the father of my _baby_ ,” Brooke over pronounced the last word like it should be obvious to Anna.

“Well, he’s the father of mine too, and look how that turned out.”

Brooke opened her mouth to talk and then shut it quickly. Anna could see the dawn of realization within her and it took her a moment to respond. “He, he would never cheat on me. He loves me,” she said, but she sounded unconvinced.

“Uh huh. Heard that before.”

Brooke frowned and Anna was glad that she seemed to be giving everything some serious thought. Initially Anna had wanted nothing to do with her, but she realized that Hans was the predator in this scenario and she felt bad for Brooke’s naivety. At the very least, she felt it was her duty to warn her, having been on the shit end of that particular stick before.

Kody was running at them with Hans walking slowly behind. “If you want to talk about things, I’m always around. Please just think things through, okay?” Anna said in a low voice as Kody approached.

Brooke nodded at her but said nothing. 

“Can you come push me now?” Kody asked as he bounded up to Brooke. Anna knew from the look on her face that it practically undid everything that Anna had told her. She sighed inwardly, hoping that at least it gave her some food for thought. 

Brooke got up with a wide smile and let Kody drag her to the playground while Hans took her seat on the bench. 

“How old is she?” Anna chided him.

Hans cleared his throat. “Twenty-three.”

Anna just shook her head at him. “Where did you meet her?”

“Anna...” Hans warned. 

“Fine, it doesn't matter anyway. But you know what does matter? Not doing the same thing to her that you did to me.”

Hans was blatant in his shock. He clearly never thought they would be talking openly about his indiscretions. “Anna, look, I am sorry. I am so sorry for what I did to you... and Kody. And I’m sorry it all happened this way,” he shook his head and looked down. “I know I’ve made mistakes but I don’t plan on repeating them.”

“Did you _plan on_ cheating on me?” She didn't care how pointedly it came out.

He cringed to himself kept his gaze on the ground. “No.”

Anna sat back. She knew she didn’t need to say anything else.

“I’m sorry, Anna. I’m sorry I did that to you. But I am trying to be a better man... with Brooke.”

“Well, for the sake of our son and the baby you have on the way, I hope you are.”


	10. Chapter 10

Kristoff woke to the sound of his phone ringing. He looked at the clock which read half past one. He froze. Getting a phone call in the middle of the night was the absolute worst feeling in the world.

He fumbled his phone, finally answering with a gruff sounding ‘Hello’ as he tried to clear his voice of sleep.

“Did you talk to her?” A voice slurred on the other end.

Kristoff’s heart was hammering from the worry over the lateness of the call and he could barely figure out who was talking. “What?” 

“Our daughter! Did you ask her?”

Kristoff blinked. He was blindsided. Why the hell was Laura calling him now? Why was she drunk? What the fucking hell was she thinking? His mind was still foggy with sleep and fear.

“Hello?” She pronounced the word like it had a dozen o’s on the end.

“Oh my God shut up!” Kristoff said. “I am not talking to you about this right now. Please, please, don’t call back.” He hung up without another thought and looked at the phone, waiting.

It rang again, like he knew it would. He turned it off and stared at a second before he threw it on the nightstand, not giving a flying fuck that it sailed right off onto the floor on the other side.

He laid awake for an hour and a half, brooding and stewing about his haunting past before he finally retrieved his phone and turned it on. He expected to find a dozen or so missed calls from his drunk ex, but there were only three missed calls and three messages. Two were from her and the third was from a number that he did not recognize. He listened to the messages right away, scowling at Laura’s ramblings, then third message hit him in the gut.

_Hello Mr. Bjorgman. This is Dr. Cook at Cedars-Sinai. We have Laura Johnson here and you were listed as an emergency contact on her medical forms. We need you to contact us or come down here right away._

He didn’t bother listening to the number that was being rattled off. He called Anna immediately.

*****

Her damn eyes were too sleepy to see the number before she answered. “Hello?” Anna said quickly, terrified of who was calling her in the middle of the night. 

“Anna.” He was so quiet that she barely recognized his voice. “Can I bring Autumn there? I have to go to the hospital.”

“What? I mean, of course, bring her over, but what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Something with my ex.”

“Okay. Yeah, come right over. Unless you want me to grab Kody and head over there?”

“No, no. I wouldn’t make you do that. I'll be over shortly.”

He hung up before Anna could say another word.

She got up and made coffee knowing that sleep was done for the night. She prattled around the apartment, gathering a new set of sheets and changing her bed so that Autumn could sleep in it. Then she threw a couple of Kody’s stuffed animals on for good measure, just in case she wanted something for comfort. 

She walked through the living room and picked up Kody’s toys and placed them in the toy bin, then she found herself in the kitchen taking stock of what she could feed the kids for breakfast when they got up. She wandered around her apartment nervously tidying while she waited, until she finally heard a soft knock at the door.

She opened it and Kristoff was standing with his daughter in his arms; her eyes were half closed and her head was resting on his shoulder. 

“Come on in, please,” Anna said quietly and stepped back to let him enter. “Here, I'll show you to my room. I changed the bedding...” she trailed off, knowing there really was no reason to explain further. 

Kristoff nodded without word and followed her down the hallway to her room. He placed Autumn in the bed and pulled the covers over her as Anna placed a stuffed animal by her side. “What’s going on Daddy?” she mumbled.

“Just a sleepover at Kody’s place, pumpkin,” Kristoff said softly. “When you guys wake up, you can play okay?”

“Okay Daddy,” she said quietly and rolled onto her side to settle back into sleep.

Anna followed Kristoff out of the room then shut the door quietly behind her. She turned to say something when she was immediately folded into Kristoff’s embrace. 

“I’m so sorry about this,” he whispered into her hair.

“Please, don’t be sorry. Just let me know what is happening, okay?” she whispered back.

He let her go and nodded before heading to the door. She followed him, wanting to say so many more things that she was thinking, but knowing that it wasn't the time. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to be there for him. 

She wanted to tell him she loved him.

“I’ll call as soon as I know,” he said from the open doorway. Before Anna could say anything else, he was gone.

*****

“Ah, Mr. Bjorgman. I’m Dr. Cook.”

Kristoff stared at his unconscious ex-wife a moment before he met the doctor’s eyes. He shook the offered hand and waited for the explanation he had been promised he would get hours ago.

“Your wife,”

“Ex-wife,” Kristoff corrected.

“Ah, pardon me. Your ex-wife was brought here unresponsive from an anonymous tip. She overdosed on a combination of pills and alcohol. Most of the time in these cases its someone she was using with that makes the call.”

Kristoff stared, not knowing what to say let alone how to process the doctor’s words.

“She’s stable now, but we aren’t sure how long she was unresponsive before the 911 call was placed. As a result, we aren’t sure what the current brain function is until we can get her over for an EEG.”

Kristoff shifted his gaze back to Laura. She had tubes everywhere. She was hooked up to an IV and a heart rate monitor on her finger. Her arm was in a blood pressure cuff and her face was covered with an oxygen mask. Never in his life had she ever looked so frail.

“The reality of the situation Mr. Bjorgman, is that if there is some level of brain activity still remaining, it is going to be a long slow road to recovery. It is likely that she will never return to full function.”

Kristoff turned his eyes back to the doctor. “How soon until we find out?”

The doctor wavered his head casually back and forth. “I guess about a few more hours before we can get her down there.”

Kristoff nodded as the doctor took his leave without another word. He walked slowly over to the lone chair in the room and sat down heavily, putting his face in his hands. He understood in that instant it must have been the reason behind her sudden aggressive behavior towards him. How long had she been doing it? _Why_ was she doing it? Did she really care so little about her daughter that she would have to get fucked up before she could care? Had she been using when Autumn was there?

That thought made him shudder, bringing up so many fears that he couldn’t even comprehend. Then a sudden realization...

_How am I going to explain this to Autumn?_

His tears came without mercy.

*****

Anna was mixing pancake batter when her phone rang. “I'll be right back guys, okay?” They didn’t pay attention. They were too busy playing with Kody’s train set on the kitchen floor.

She walked briskly down the hall and answered the phone as she quietly shut her bedroom door. “Kristoff?”

She could hear him breathing, but he said nothing. _Oh God, I hope he is okay._

“She overdosed,” he said finally. 

“Oh Kristoff, I am so sorry. Is she... is she okay?” She didn’t know how else to ask. 

“No,” he said softly. “She’s in a coma. They don’t know if her brain is still functioning.”

She felt her tears come at the hurt in his voice. “I am so sorry, Kristoff.”

“I’m still waiting or the EEG results, but the doctor is... not very optimistic.”

“What can I do? Can I come down there, please? I can get Gerda over here? Please Kristoff, I want to be with you for this.”

He was silent on the other end for a long time. “Let me call you back when I know the results. Okay?”

“Sure, of course. I’ll be waiting.”

“Anna...”

“Yes?”

“I...uh...I...” He was quiet a moment. “Thank you,” he whispered, then hung up.

Anna wiped her tears from her face with impatience. This was so unfair for him. The pain she heard and the feeling she knew he must be having, were too much. She looked in the mirror and made sure that it wasn’t _kid_ obvious that she had been crying, then went back out to the kitchen.

“Mom, were hungry!” Kody said from the floor as she walked in.

“Alright kiddos. Got the batter all mixed up. Blueberry pancakes coming your way in a minute.”

She went about making the pancakes, but all she could think about was Kristoff. Her heart was breaking for him. Still, she was mad. Very mad. Mad at that useless ex of his that went and got herself into this. Anna knew it was wrong to feel that way, so very, very wrong, but she couldn’t help that it was where her mind kept going.

She knew full well that alcohol and drugs were a slippery slope. Even more so to certain personalities, as she had seen within her own family. But her mind kept going back to the fact that his ex seemed to generally not care very much about her daughter. She seemed to want to go out of her way to make Kristoff’s life miserable. Anna knew of course that was an outside perspective and she was massively biased, but still...

She shook her head as she put the batter to the pan. _Get it off your mind. You just need to be there for Kristoff and that’s final._ She chided herself on her dark thoughts and focused on making sure she made the best blueberry pancakes she could.

*****

Kristoff looked up at the man who walked in, slowly removing his ball cap and twisting it between his hands. 

“Hello Kristoff,” he said quietly.

“Hi George.” Kristoff said, getting up from the chair and offering his hand to his former brother-in-law. 

He shook it quickly and returned his hand to his hat. “Thanks for calling.”

“Of course.” George was the only family that Laura had left and they hadn’t spoken much at all since she Laura had been caught cheating on him.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately. I would dearly love to see my niece again while I’m here, if that’s alright?”

“Yes, of course. You are always welcome, I told you that.” He had let George visit with Autumn whenever he happened to be in town. Whether or not Laura was aware of it, he never knew. If she was, she had never said anything.

George had been a very close friend for many years before everything went sideways. They had been like brothers and Kristoff was very sad when George had distanced himself after the divorce. He had always wondered why, though he had never asked, not wanting to hear a reason he knew would probably upset him.

“How is she?”

Kristoff filled him in on the doctor’s prognosis and the fact that they were still waiting for the EEG results. 

George nodded slowly and Kristoff gestured his hand to the chair so that he could sit and process everything. He obliged and stared at his sister.

“I’ll get some coffee,” Kristoff muttered and left the room, very uncomfortable with the whole situation. He walked slowly down the hall to the coffee machine. He plugged in the change in his pocket for the third time that morning and got two cups of black tar.

He took his time walking back, despite the fact that the coffee was extremely hot on his hands through the thin paper cups. He paused at the doorway and peered in, seeing George exactly how he left him, so he walked in and handed him a coffee, feeling the instant relief on his palm. He shifted his own cup to hold the top and bottom to alleviate the heat on the other hand.

George stared at her with the coffee resting in his hands on his laps. He didn’t look at Kristoff when he spoke. “She wasn’t always this way you know.”

His voice was so quiet Kristoff found himself taking a step closer to hear. “How do you mean?”

“She wasn’t always flighty, and bitter and, well, recklessly impulsive. She was a normal kid. Happy and smiling and fun loving. She was always laughing. Always. She loved to tell jokes almost as much as she loved hearing them.”

Kristoff was silent as he watched George recall the memories as his eyes stayed glued on his sister.

“When she got older, I uh, can’t remember when because she was five years older than me and I just didn’t understand it all back then, she would disappear with her friends. At first it was a night here or there and my parents were always nervous wrecks until she got home. Then it was two nights, and then sometimes a whole weekend where they had no idea where she was.”

Kristoff had to swallow hard at seeing the tears that coursed down George’s cheek. 

“Eventually my parents got tired of trying to talk to her. She was raised so much better, we both were, but she got swept up in her rebellion and she continued to disappear every couple of weekends. Until one day she never came back to school on Monday. She was gone for a week and a half that time. The police were involved and there were alerts issued. We put up missing posters and scoured our entire town looking for her. People volunteered and it went day and night. My parents barely slept. They became zombies and I was basically on my own.”

George sobbed and Kristoff instinctively put his hand on his shoulder for comfort.

“She showed up on the Wednesday of the following week in the same clothes she had left the house in, with bruises and scrapes and blood all over her hair. For years she was sent to therapy and several doctors tried, but she never, ever told us what happened. She was never the same after that. She became I guess what you would call... a relatively normal functioning person.... but she was never then same.”

“I never knew that,” Kristoff whispered.

George finally looked up at him. “I know. I was never going to tell you that either, but... well I guess given the circumstances, I thought you should know.”

“Thank you. For telling me. And I’m sorry that had to happen.”

George nodded and impatiently wiped the tears from his cheek. “I want you to know too that I’m going to take full responsibility for her... her care... and such.”

“I can’t let you do that George. She’s my responsibility too.”

“After what she did to you? I can’t accept that, Kristoff. It’s always killed me the way she treated you. I hated her for a long time for that. We were so close and everything was going so great. The three of us got a long so well... then she just went right back to that rebellious self of hers, just looking for trouble you know? She ruined it all.”

“I still won’t let you shoulder this alone.”

“She’s my sister...”

“She’s my ex wife and the mother to my child. All the medical expenses are going to be covered by me, you go that.” Kristoff hadn’t wanted to be so forceful, but he knew that George was left with little to no money when his parents died.

“Then I will be the one to stay here and deal with her. You go home and be with your daughter.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“What about that show you’re on? Don’t you have to go back to that?”

Kristoff furrowed his brow. “I hadn’t even thought about that to be honest. “I’ll just have to tell them I have to bow out.”

“But you’re doing so good, you can’t quit now.”

“You watch the show?” Kristoff asked with curiosity.

George smiled. “Of course. I know we’ve grown distant, but I still consider you my brother. And I get a kick out of seeing Autumn in the audience. She’s grown into such a little lady.”

“That she has,” Kristoff smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Anna ran to her phone in the kitchen as it rang. “Hello, hello?” she said in a panic, worried that she missed it. 

“Anna.” It was Kristoff.

“How is she? Are you okay?”

“Well, the EEG actually shows that she has more brain function than they thought, so they are telling us it’s looking more promising now. Not great, but promising.”

_Us?_ _Who is he there with?_

“That's good,” she said, genuinely happy that Kristoff sounded optimistic. She did not like it when he was sad.

“They’re going to keep her in a coma for now. Let her body heal a bit. I uh...” He was quiet on the other end for a moment. “Can I ask a favor?”

“Of course, anything.”

“Can I bring Autumn’s Uncle to your place, just for a quick visit? I... don’t want her to see her mom like this and George really wants to see his niece.”

“Of course you can, Kristoff. Of course that’s okay.” _That explains the ‘us’._

“We’ll bring some lunch okay?”

“Sure.”

“See you soon.”

“Okay,” she said and hung up. She had wanted to tell him. She had wanted to utter those three words, but she did not want to do it over the phone. She sighed and went to tell Autumn her uncle was coming over to visit.

*****

Anna opened the door for Kristoff when he knocked. He walked in followed closely by a waif of a man with a baseball cap and a denim jacket an exact match to the shade of his jeans. They both had bags of Styrofoam containers in their hands.

“That is a lot of food,” Anna said with a nervous little laugh as they set the bags on the kitchen counter.

“Chinese Food. We weren’t sure what everyone liked, so we got a bit of everything.” Kristoff said as he turned around. “Uh, this is Laura’s brother, George.” 

Anna stuck out her hand and he shook it. His hand was slightly limp and his index and middle fingers were yellowed from cigarettes, making her cringe inwardly, but his smile was warm and genuine. 

“Nice to meet you George.” She was about to tell him her name when Kristoff spoke.

“This is my girlfriend, Anna.” Kristoff said as he faced back to his brother in-law.

Anna faltered at the title he gave her. _Girlfriend?_

He looked at her and she could see the question in his eyes. She nodded subtly, a very real smile spreading across her face.

“Nice to meet you, Anna. I’m sorry to impose on you like this. I haven’t seen Autumn in a long time.” His eyes causally flicked around, as if he was looking or her.

“Oh, they are playing in Kody’s room. I'll go get them,” she smiled.

She walked down the hallway to the sound of giggles and pushed open his half-closed door. They were both sitting on the floor with their backs against the bed and a mess of comic books strewn out between them. Kody was explaining to Autumn how cool Captain America was.

“Autumn, your Uncle is here to see you.”

Her eyes lit up and she sprang to her feet and took off down the hallway. “Uncle George!” she squealed as she launched herself into his arms. 

He hugged her quickly and smiled, then indulged her as she launched into stories about her new friend Kody, and how her Dad was on a dancing show and how school was going, while she dragged him into the living room.

Suddenly Anna found herself in Kristoff’s arms as he hugged her tightly. He was squeezing her a little too much, but she didn’t mind. She understood he must be reeling from all that had happened. He loosened his grip but did not let her go. Anna found comfort in his heartbeat as she waited. She could hear Kody in the living room as Autumn introduced him to her Uncle, and he immediately questioned George if he understood how cool Captain America was.

“Should I call the producer? Tell him that we have to bow out?” Anna said when Kristoff still remained silent. “They already called wondering what’s going on.”

He sighed deeply and finally let her go. He walked over to her table and plopped himself down into a chair as he dragged his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. George is going to stay with me and he said he is going to be at the hospital every day to help because he thinks I should continue, but I... I feel guilty. Does that make sense?”

“Perfect sense,” Anna said taking a seat across from him.

“What should I do Anna?"

It was hard for her to imagine being in his shoes. It was impossible to remain objective when she cared about Kristoff so much and hated what Laura had put him through. She didn’t want to quit, she would admit that, but she completely understood if he would be unable to continue in the competition. 

“Kristoff, I’m sorry, I don’t know. I think you need to make that decision on your own.”

“I don’t want to quit. I really don't. But ugh, the guilt. I am so torn it isn’t even funny.” He buried his head in his folded arms and heaved a heavy sigh.

Anna moved to sit in the chair beside him and ran her hand back and forth across his broad shoulders. 

“This shitty thing is,” His muffled voice came from his arms. “I was actually getting the idea in my head that we could win.”

Anna could not stop the smile that spread across her lips. She had thought the same thing many times. She opened her mouth to say something, but caught her tongue before the ‘I love you’ she was going to utter stumbled out. 

Kristoff lifted hid head to look at her. “I think I need to mull this over a bit. Let’s just eat and then we’ll figure it out.”

Anna nodded. “Sounds good.”

*****

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked from the doorway. He felt weird. All of this was weird.

“Of course, Kristoff. Please, it’s nothing at all.” Anna said with a reassuring smile that made his heart want to burst.

“I’ll be back first thing in the morning, okay? And I’ll text you when I get home.”

“Kristoff, it’s okay. Don’t look at me like you’re putting me out, you aren't!”

He glanced around her in her open apartment, quickly making sure the kids weren’t in the line of sight before he pulled her into a gentle kiss. The words were there, he almost said them. He wanted to say them. But it felt like a weird time to be whispering such devotions to the woman he was in love with.

They went down to his car and drove back to the hospital with George. The ride was quiet until they were almost there, before he broke the silence. 

“She is lovely Kristoff. Good for you.”

“Thanks George.”

“No, I mean it. She’s a sweetheart. She’s so great with those kids. She’s...” He trailed off and looked out the window.

“What?”

“I dunno,” he said, still looking away. “Marriage material, I guess. Sorry, I just started thinking about how you’ve been wronged and I'm just... ah never mind.”

“No, please, I miss talking to you Georgie.” The slip of his old moniker made him look quickly at Kristoff.

“I just want you to be happy. And she looks like she makes you very happy.”

Kristoff smiled. “She does.” He hoped that from now on that he and George would stay close again. He was on the road a lot and he smoked way too much, but he was a good man. Too set in his own ways and impatient with his alone time to ever settle down with anyone. One of those perpetual bachelors who just so happened to have a heart of gold.

They went back up to the room Laura was in and resumed waiting. They waited for hours before Dr. Cook came back and told them that they still felt keeping her in a medically induced coma, most likely for a week, was the best for the time being and that they should go home and get some sleep.

George followed Kristoff to his home and they opened a beer and grabbed some cold pizza from the fridge and talked. For the first time in four years they talked like they used to, as brothers and friends.

The night wore on and they caught up with each other’s lives. Kristoff was always impressed how George, for the skinny little dude he was, could always match Kristoff on drinks and always be at the same level of a little bit drunk. He knew if he weighed what George did, he would be annihilated.

There was a natural lull in the conversation and Kristoff decided it was time to talk to George about Laura’s care. “I think I’m going to bow out of the show and then I can help you with her.”

George actually looked shocked. “Please don’t quit. You are doing so well. Hell, I think you’ll win the whole thing.”

“I would feel too guilty, and I don’t think I would be able to concentrate on the dances to learn them properly anyway.”

George put his beer bottle on the coffee table and turned his body to face Kristoff. “For all that she’s already done to you, don’t let her ruin your shot at this too. And think about Anna. That show is her job. You have to take her into consideration.”

“She told me to quit if I felt I needed to.”

“But you don’t want to, do you? Please Kristoff, let me do this. Let me be the one there for her this time. I couldn't be there for her back then, I was too young. Let me be there for her now.”

Kristoff swallowed past the lump forming in his throat at George’s sincere request. He nodded. “Okay.”

George smiled in relief. “Good. Plus, I hate to say this, but if she wakes up and you are there, she’ll probably just start yelling at you.”

Kristoff laughed. “Yeah, you are probably right about that.”

*****

Anna heard the knock from the kitchen as she was pouring milk into the kid’s cereal. She took a deep breath, knowing it was Kristoff and he would tell her what him and George had come to on an agreement of Laura’s care. The producers told them that they needed to know today whether or not Kristoff was going to continue in the competition and Anna was curious about what Kristoff had decided.

She opened the door and his familiar smile warmed her like a cozy blanket on a cold night. “Let’s dance,” he said as he pulled her into a hug.

*****

Kristoff found himself on Team West Coast. It was curious to him that there was exactly four of them who were born and resided in California, and the other four were born and raised somewhere on the East Coast. He supposed for how long the show had been on, that they were running out of team dance names and themes, but it was one hell of a coincidence.

The four pros were talking in a huddle about the theme and the choreography while the so-called ‘stars’, sat and waited. He was paired with the pop singer who was in top place, a woman who was on some hit TV show in the 80′s, and an Olympic gold medalist who was no more than 16. How he ended up on a team with all girls was also, to him, a little suspect. 

He sat back while the three ladies chatted way, keeping his eyes on Anna, lazily admitting her back side. She was talking to the three male pro dancers that the other stars were paired with. Kristoff felt an odd pang of jealousy as he looked at the men.

They were all extremely good looking, especially those two Chmerkovskiy brothers, and the other fellow was some kind of European hunk too. He knew from seeing their dances that they were all lean and ripped, and Kristoff suddenly felt a little inadequate.

He was no slouch of course, but his build was big. His shoulders were so muscular that they almost swallowed his neck, and his abs, while clearly visible, where nowhere near as defined as the dancers. They were softer and more rounded instead of chiseled. 

_You got ‘em beat in the old arm department at least. Your biceps are huge._

_Oh shut up._ He rolled his eyes at himself.

Anna glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled in an extremely mischievous way before she turned back to the other dancers and nodded. _Uh oh,_ he thought.

*****

“Uh, are you sure about this?” Kristoff stammered as they were about to run through the dress rehearsal for the group dance.

“What, are you shy?” Maks asked. “Because I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“No, not shy, just... ah never mind,” he mumbled.

“Don’t worry, I get it.” Val chimed in. “I always get antsy about taking my shirt off in front of everyone too, but lets he honest, the ladies love it.”

“Yeah we do.” Anna said coming up and joining the group of guys with the other three ladies trailing behind. 

“Alright.” Maks clapped his hands. “Let’s do the run through.”

They took their positions and went through the dance at least two times. Kristoff felt silly when all four of the men grabbed their tear-away pants to reveal bathing shorts that, in Kristoff’s opinion, were too much on the short side, and ripped off their shirts to reveal their bare chests and then whip them around their heads like fucking idiots.

_‘Ratings’_ Anna had tried to explain to him, but it still felt incredibly stupid. Although, he had to admit, with the beach bum type thing they had going on towards the end of the dance, he did get to see Anna in a one-piece bathing suit. He had to put himself in check when he saw those shapely legs of hers, lest he end up getting himself another boner.

They nailed the dress rehearsal both times they danced it, so they called it a night to get ready for tomorrows show day.

Kristoff was relieved when it was just him and Anna, headed back to his place where Gerda was babysitting the kids. They held hands as he drove the familiar streets back to his house.

“I didn’t know you had tattoos,” she said, breaking the silence.

“Huh?”

“Your shoulders. I didn’t know you had any tattoos. I don’t know why I assumed you didn’t... I just.” she shrugged. “They’re nice.”

“Thank you.”

“Well the Superbowl one is pretty self explanatory...”

“Yeah me and some of my closest friends on the team went out and got them one night.” Kristoff chuckled, recalling the memory.

“There’s a story behind that one is there?”

“Oh yeah, a long one. I’ll have to tell it to you sometime.”

“Are the numbers Autumn’s birthday?”

Kristoff smiled as his eyes remained on the road. “Yes, they are.”

“That’s very sweet.”

“Do you? Have any tattoos I mean?” Kristoff had seen a lot of her skin, but he hadn’t seen it all.

“As a matter of fact, I do have one,” she smiled at him when he glanced at her.

“Hmm. You’ll have to show it to me.”

Anna laughed heartily. “I’d have to be naked. It’s uh, in a sensitive area.”

Kristoff tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “Ugh, that is so unfair,” he groaned, just picturing Anna’s naked body made him feel weak.

“We’ll get there,” she mused. “Just imagine how great it will be when we finally get to that point.”

“Okay we have to stop talking about this right now,” he frowned, already feeling himself swell at the image of their lovers embrace.

“Pull over.”

He looked at her sharply. “What?”

“Pull over. I’ll uh, you know...” She winked and gestured with her hand and mouth so he understood what she was offering.

He shook his head. “No.”

He glanced at her and she looked incredulous. “You are seriously turning down a blow job?”

Oh, to hear her say that, good God! _Are you an idiot Bjorgman? A blow job! You haven’t had one of those for like 7 or 8 years._

“Anna,” he whined. “I do, my God you have no idea how much I would love that, but we said we were going to keep things cool until Kody goes and stays with his Dad next week and make sure everything is okay.”

“What, I can’t offer to give you a sneak peak?”

He just about wrenched the wheel over to find a dark place to park. Just about. _Do it! For the love of God man, pull over!_

He shook his head. “Anna, I haven’t had any kind of sex with anyone in over four years... well, I guess if you don’t count myself, but who does...” he laughed nervously. “Is it weird that I kind of want to wait until it’s, uh, you know, _with you_? Me and you?”

He stole a glance at her, half expecting her to be a little miffed at him, but she was looking at him with a kind of reverence that made him feel more loved and respected than he ever had in his entire life.

“Okay. We’ll wait. And for what it’s worth, that makes me feel so wonderful I can’t even possibly explain it.”

He yanked the wheel over then, pulling up to the curb and putting the transmission in park. He turned to her as she looked back at him with shock, as if she was taken aback that he had changed his mind, and he grabbed her hands into his.

“Anna, I love you.”

She gasped and her eyes widened. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while, but it never seemed like the right time, you know? But I can’t wait any more. I love you, so much.”

Her eyes welled up with tears. “I love you, too,” she said with a soft sob. “Kristoff, I love you too!”

He kissed her awkwardly over the console, wanting it to be so much more meaningful than the weird angle of their bodies confined by seat-belts in his Jeep. He had wanted to tell her when they were alone and he had wanted to hug her tight, not just kiss her, but simply hold her. He wanted to tell her how long it had been since he had felt just so happy with his life, and that he thanked his lucky stars that everything had worked out and they could be together. He wanted to tell her that she was his soulmate, something which he thought was complete bullshit before he saw her for the very first time. He wanted to whisper it to her over and over as they made love, and have it mean so much more.

But the fact that she loved him too, meant all it needed to. That tender moment would come in time, but for now, simply knowing that he loved Anna and she loved him, was all he needed. 

It was all they both needed.


	12. Chapter 12

Their Paso Doble suffered for the time they lost during the week, but Kristoff still managed to do it well enough that he earned them four nines. It wasn’t what they had wanted of course, but they were both extremely happy with the results.

Kristoff enjoyed the Paso. He got to be the matador and scowl and be manly and it felt good after so many dances where he had to put on a fake face. Anna had told him too, in private of course, that she was very much enjoying the way he was dominating her in the dance.

The stupid team dance came and Kristoff was a little surprised to find that he remembered the choreography, thinking that after trying so hard to remember the Paso, it would all leave his brain when the time came. But the music and the other dancers helped him to remember, and he was delighted 0 despite an inward cringe about how dumb it was - with the cheers and loud screaming when he and the male pro dancers removed their shirts as planned. Team East Coast had scored two nines and two tens, but Team West Coast swept it with a perfect score.

_Now if I can only get those scores on my own_ , Kristoff thought.

At the end of the show they all lined up for their results and Kristoff found himself nervous. Everyone had seemed to preform very well. He worried that the viewers were bored of him and would stop voting for him. They had both watched the video package before their dance, surprised at how boring and lackluster it seemed.

Anna had explained that it was very easy to get eliminated, even after a great dance, as she had even been on the receiving end of it before. She had told him begrudgingly that, yes, the show certainly had a popularity contest aspect about it. She even went so far one night when they were alone, to say that she sometimes thought the results might be rigged.

“Kristoff and Anna…. you…. are safe.” Tom announced. Kristoff hugged Anna tightly as the spotlight on them went out, signaling that they would be moving onto the next round. He wanted to pull her in for a kiss but he knew that even in the dark that someone would see it.

They had to wait for the ridiculous stalling to build suspense, a long commercial break, and more stalling, before it was announced that the 80′s actress had been eliminated. She hugged everyone and they all said their words of encouragement as she took a bow with her partner and the show wrapped up.

When the cameras finally went off and everyone made their way back stage, Kristoff found himself walking beside Maks while he held Anna’s hand. 

“You’re certainly a threat Bjorgman, but you won’t knock us off the top spot.” he laughed and nudged him in the arm to show that it was all in good fun. Kristoff definitely thought he and Anna could win, but after the pop singer’s performance with Maks that evening, pulling perfect scores for a Cha-Cha, he knew that the trophy would most likely remain just out of reach.

“You did really great tonight, Amy,” Kristoff said to her as she stood beside Maks.

“You too, Kris. I kind of hope it’s you and me in the end, battling for the mirror ball. But don’t feel too bad when I win it, okay?” she smiled brightly.

Kristoff laughed. For someone so young and famous she was certainly down to earth. “We’ll see about that. If I make it to the finale, that stupid ugly mirror thing is mine.”

Her and Anna laughed heartily and they all made their way to the dressing rooms to rid themselves of the uncomfortable costumes. “You really did good for how short we had to work on that dance,” Anna said as she sat and stripped off her shoes.

“Thanks, but I don’t think I would have been as successful if I didn’t have such a good teacher. Who by the way, is awesome at choreography,” he flashed her a toothy smile.

She wrinkled her nose to mock him. “You are too sweet.” 

Kristoff took a seat beside her and slid off his own shoes with a satisfied sigh. “I know we didn’t get to finish our conversation earlier today, but how do you think Kody is going to make out at his Dad’s for the first night?”

“Good, I hope. He got a little skittish when I first dropped him off, but Brooke said she made him some cookies, or something like that, and it was enough to lure him into being comfortable enough so that I could leave. I haven’t heard anything all day, so that must be a good sign, right?”

“I think so,” Kristoff answered. “You going to call him tonight?”

“As soon as I get home.” 

“Let me know how it goes?”

“Sure,” she smiled at him and he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her tenderly, but quickly, knowing that he needed to get Autumn home.

*****

“Goodnight sweetheart. I love you,” he kissed her forehead as she yawned.

“Are you and Miss Arendelle boyfriend and girlfriend?” 

Kristoff had to work quickly to cover his shock over her question. “Why do you ask that, pumpkin?”

“Because Kody said he saw you guys kissing.”

_Shiiiiiiiiit._ For all the times that they had stolen a kiss in the past week, it was only a matter of time before one of their kids happened to notice. “What did he think about that?” he asked carefully.

“He said it was gross, but he was happy that his Mom was, uh, happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yeah, like how his Mom told him that his Dad was happy with another lady, and that they should be happy for him, and so he thought that she is now happy like his Dad, but with you.”

The statement was very confusing, but he thought he understood the gist of it.

“Does it bother you, that I... kissed her?”

She shook her little head. “No, but does that mean you are boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Kristoff would never lie to his daughter. “Yes, it does.”

“That’s good. I was talking to Gerda about what Kody said, and she said it’s about time.”

Kristoff reminded himself to have a chat with Gerda about that, but he still couldn’t stop himself from smiling, knowing it was true. 

“Okay, well it’s way past your bed time, so its time to go to sleep,” he kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you too Daddy.” She whispered.

*****

Kristoff grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and waited for a text from Anna. He was pleasantly surprised when she actually called him.

“How is everything?” Kristoff asked after they greeted each other.

“Good,” she sighed loudly on the other end. “Really good. He’s having a great time.” 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked carefully, hearing the dejection in her voice.

She was quiet a moment before she spoke. “Is it wrong that I hoped he would want to come home?”

“Not at all."

“I just feel... lonely. Well, not like _lonely_ , lonely, because it is nice to actually have an evening to myself, but just... I don’t know. Overly quiet, I guess.”

“Oh Anna, I know exactly what you are feeling. And you know what? If you want, we can talk until you want to go to bed.”

“Really?”

“Yeah really. I know I’m not the best talker, but I am good at listening.”

“That you are indeed,” she said. “Okay, sure. I’m just sitting here with a glass of wine and not watching the shit on TV anyway.”

Kristoff looked down at his beer and up at the TV which he didn’t even realize was on. He had to laugh at that. 

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

Kristoff found himself giggling and he got the camera on his phone and switched it to the front. He twisted his body and held up his arm so that he could get half his face, with the TV in the background and his drink held up enough so that she could see.

“Just a sec,” he said into the phone and then he sent her the picture.

She was silent a moment before he finally heard her. “Oh my God, you too? This is perfect.”

“Not too bad for my first ever selfie, huh?”

“Shut up, that is not your first.”

“Yes, it is!” he said. “First one I ever took of just me.”

“Nuh uh, I don’t believe you at all,” she teased.

“You know what you really won’t believe... Kody must have caught us kissing, and Autumn asked if we were boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Wait, what? Tell me!” she demanded, and just like that, the conversation was on a roll.

*****

When Kristoff walked into the studio and saw Anna sitting in the chair and staring at her feet, he knew she was feeling down, and not just from the look on her face. She had confessed her fears again to him after they had shared a few drinks over the phone and talked. He sat beside her and pulled her into a one-armed hug. 

“How are you making out?”

“Good.” 

He knew she was lying, so he ran his other hand down her cheek, inviting her to open up to him.

“I just... after we hung up, I just couldn’t sleep. I don’t know why, we talked for so long and I was so tired, but...” She lifted her hands lightly from her lap to say she wasn’t sure how to continue on that thought.

“You know, the first weekend Autumn went to stay at her Mom’s, I don’t think I slept for three days.”

“Well I could understand why. I’d be terrified too if Hans had neglected...” She pulled from his embrace and looked at him, eyes wide with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine Anna, really. I’m not offended.”

She sighed heaving back into his embrace. “Still, it was a shitty thing to say, and I am sorry. Talked to George today?”

“Yeah, they said they are planning on taking her out of the induced coma on Thursday.”

“Okay, we’ll plan the week around that. I checked the sheet this morning and we have contemporary for our main dance, then we have to prepare three other mini numbers for a dance off, since we don’t know what genre we will get until the live show.”

“Really?” Kristoff groaned. He knew at this point in the competition the dancing part was going to ramp up, but he couldn't believe his luck that it came with all the other stuff going on in his personal life. Still, he had to remind himself, it wasn’t just him who was having a hard time. 

“Listen, why don’t you come to my house tonight. For a sleepover?”

She pulled back and looked at him with a sly smile. “Sleepover huh?”

Kristoff felt his cheeks burn. “Not that kind of sleepover! Autumn and George are just down the hall. I meant in one of my guest bedrooms.”

She furrowed her brow. “Really? That’s no fun,” then she smiled right away to show him she was kidding. “You know, I think I might take you up on that offer. It would be nicer than laying awake alone all night.”

“Good. It’ll be glad when we can all have a chance to talk when Autumn goes to bed.”

“Me too,” she said, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

*****

Anna was a little surprised at how talkative George was. She had pegged him as a loner since Kristoff had told her as much; he was a trucker and lived alone, so she naturally assumed he would be quiet. But the contrast between him and Kristoff was considerable as he largely remained quiet while Anna found George talked off on a tangent more than once. Yet they all seemed to have a natural fluidity, even if it was her and George who spoke the most.

The conversation came to a natural lull, and she noticed a slight realization in George’s eyes when he looked between her and Kristoff. Then he feigned a yawn, telling them he was going to head to bed. They bid him goodnight and found themselves alone.

She was glad that Kristoff wanted to talk a little more and they settled themselves in the living room, facing each other on his sofa. She found out so many things about him, storing them away in her important memory banks, wanting to soak up as much of him as she could. As they talked, she knew exactly what she was going to get him for his Birthday in the summer, and what she wanted to get both him and Autumn for a Christmas present.

_Calm down Anna. There’s a lot of hurdles before you go on and think about all that. Maybe it won’t work out between you two._

But she ignored that part of her mind that always seemed to insert negative comments. All she had to do was look into his warm brown eyes and know that they were on the exact same level, at the exact right time. It was as if everything seemed to be going the exact right way, to allow them to be together. _This is straight out of a Disney movie, for fuck sake!_

Anna felt herself get sleepy way too soon. She wanted desperately to stay up with him, and talk to him, but the previous nights restlessness and the full day of pushing themselves to learn the contemporary dance, had left her struggling to keep her eyes open.

Before she knew it, Kristoff was talking, pulling her from a doze. “Huh? Sorry, what?” she realized she was laying against his warm chest. _When did that happen?_

“Why don’t you go to bed, Anna,” Kristoff said, seemingly for the second time. “You’re falling asleep.”

Her groggy mind was indeed tired. “But I have to stay awake to sneak to your room later...” she mumbled.

“Easy feisty pants,” he soothed. “You need to catch up on some rest.”

“Mmmm, kay,” she said as she felt her body lift from the couch. She felt weightless in his arms that were somehow impossibly soft as they were strong. She floated until she found a soft mattress below her and covers being pulled up to her collarbone, then the soft touch of lips to her forehead. 

The last thing she knew was the words ‘I love you’ reaching her ears, before she fell into a deep sleep.

*****

“You know, this dance is getting a little... real.” Kristoff said from his spot on the wall where he was leaning.

“Too real?”

Kristoff eyed her. He wasn’t sure what to say. When Anna had explained how she wanted to structure the contemporary around themselves; two people struggling to be together despite pain and heartache, he had thought it was a great idea for an emotional performance. But the emotion part was getting in the way.

All he kept picturing was how she looked last night as she had fallen asleep, so peaceful and lovely, that his heart ached. He had watched her for God knows how long before he went to his own bed, wishing that she was there beside him, just there to snuggle with and hold all night long.

And this dance. This dance! It was just so overly... _sexual._

“All contemporary routines are emotional and provoking,” Anna said, as if she could read his thoughts, padding over on her bare feet. That was one thing he enjoyed at least, was being able to ditch the shoes.

“Don’t you think we’re showing too much of... ourselves?”

“You know what... I think I don’t care anymore. I think I want to scream it from the mountain tops that we’re in love. And, after talking with Kody on the phone this morning, and hearing him say that he was happy, was the final thing I needed to let myself just be with you, free of restraints.”

“Anna, I’m still nervous about this...” He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly. They had both agreed to talk to their kids that morning, to make sure it was okay that they were boyfriend/girlfriend, and they would be spending a lot of time together. Both of their kids were happy and had absolutely no reservations, but this dance seemed to be a little... _extreme_ , given how quickly it all seemed to be happening. 

She was searching his eyes in thought and nodded slowly. “You’re right. Maybe we need to dial it back, just a little.”

Kristoff nodded in relief.

“Maybe it would be easier for us to focus more on the love instead of the lust if we’d already.... you know,” she raised a delicate eyebrow.

She had a point there. He could not argue that fact. “Come over tonight.” 

Her face fell. “I promised Elsa we would have a lady’s night since Kody is at his Dad’s.”

“Okay,” he smiled past his disappointment.

Her eyes were burning into his soul. “I’ll cancel.”

“Anna, don’t do that. We’ll have another night to... you know,” he winked at her.

“This is killing me. You know that don’t you?” she said matter-of-factly.

Kristoff laughed. “Trust me, I feel your pain.”


	13. Chapter 13

Kristoff waited in the hallway until George came out and told him it was okay to go in. He had been at the hospital for the better part of the morning, waiting to find out what condition Laura was in when she woke.

“Well, she seems like she’s all there, you know? She’s a little, slow though, so give her some time. She’s... you know... she’s going to have her work cut out for her I think.” George frowned, as if he wanted to say more... or something else. 

“Of course,” Kristoff said and took a deep, lumbering breath before he walked into the room.

She met his eyes immediately and followed as he took a seat in the chair beside the bed. 

“How are you feeling?” Kristoff asked, uncomfortable in her emotionless stare.

“Fine,” she said slowly.

“Do you remember what happened?”

She shook her head, ever so slowly, back and forth.

“What were you on? Do you know that?”

Again, a slow head shake.

Kristoff felt his frustration bubble up. “Who were you with?”

She was quiet for a minute before she finally answered. “My boyfriend.”

“And what, you OD, so he calls an ambulance and then bails?” he tired to keep the edge off his voice, but it was hard. Laura always made everything just _so_ _damn hard._

She looked away, showing no signs of regret or remorse. Just... nothing. Kristoff sat and waited, not knowing at all what to say, or how to continue on. The silence seemed to stretch forever. He was thinking about just leaving and coming back when she was more responsive, when she finally spoke.

“I never wanted this,” she said slowly. 

“What?”

“This life. I never wanted to live here. Or get married. Or have... a kid.”

Kristoff felt like he was stabbed in the heart. He was completely shocked. Despite all she had done to him and how he didn’t think she could possibly do any more damage, she was still able to twist and tear at his emotions.

She looked at him, showing nothing at the look of his torment that he knew was written all over his face. 

“What are you saying?”

“When I get out of here-”

He cut her off. “When you get out of here, you are going straight into rehabilitation, and once you are clean and sober and in a good place, we can talk about things rationally.” His hurt came through in his words.

He saw a flash of defiance in her gaze before she turned back away from him. He knew from the firm line of her jaw that was as far as he was going to get with her, so he got up and left, finding George in the waiting room at the end of the long hallway.

“God, what happened?” George asked, taking to his feet after setting his eyes on Kristoff.

“She’s just being irrational. She needs to, I don’t know... get help. Then she’ll be okay.” Kristoff plopped into a chair with a groan, but he didn’t believe his own words. He had never seen her this detached and it scared him.

George took his seat beside him. “She has the same look in her eyes that she did all those years ago... when she came back after her disappearance.”

“How did she act, you know, after that?”

“Like she just didn’t care about anything anymore. Kind of like now.”

“For how long?”

George was quiet for a moment. “A while.” 

“Did she say anything to you?”

“Not anything other than me questioning if she knew where she was and who we still are and all that. I tried to ask her other things, but she shut me out. I think she still hates me for not talking to her for a while after she cheated on you”

Kristoff frowned, too upset to tell George what she had said to him. “Well, I think I'll come back tomorrow morning and try again. Sorry to leave you hanging with her...”

George put his hand on Kristoff’s shoulder. “Please, don't be sorry. I’m just happy she’s all there... er, rather.. you know... not brain damaged.”

_I wouldn’t be so sure about that,_ Kristoff thought, and chided himself for his terrible thoughts. But dammit, she had struck a chord with him and he knew it was going to gnaw at his very last nerve until she came to her senses.

*****

When Kristoff got to the studio the camera crews were just setting up and he had to keep his torment inside until they were gone. But Anna knew from one look at him that he was struggling, so she played everything off herself, filling the void with her voice and bringing a smile to his face once or twice despite his mental anguish. 

Their re-worked dance was going very well, and at the very least, he was happy about that. But he still had a hard time getting Laura’s words out of his mind. They chanted over and over, bringing him pain each time he heard them. Surely, she was just stressed out from her ordeal and didn’t mean them. 

_I don’t know... she seemed so..._

“Kristoff?”

“Huh? Sorry, what?” he looked around, realizing the camera crew was already gone. How the hell had he zoned out that much?

“She did a number on you, didn’t she?” Anna walked up to him with worry and care in her eyes, but also the anger he had first glimpsed when he had first told her about his painful past.

“Yeah, she did, but I don’t want to talk about it here.”

“Okay, I get that. Let’s go out tonight? Can Gerda look after Autumn?”

Kristoff shook his head. “No, she had plans with family.”

“Elsa could babysit. I’ll call her and see if she’s free.”

Kristoff nodded, a smile gracing his lips. “Sure. You have a fun time with her last night?” 

“Yes, I did,” Anna laughed as she dug her phone out of her bag. “Talked about a lot of things.”

“Me?”

“Your name came up once or twice.”

“Good things I hope?”

“Very good,” she smiled. “Elsa likes you.”

“That’s good,” he smiled back at her. “I have a feeling I would not want to be on her bad side.”

Anna laughed. “You sure don't. She can get a little icy, if you know what I mean.”

*****

Anna was having a hard time gauging his mood ever since she and Elsa had knocked on his door. He had invited them in, and the all talked briefly before Autumn had dragged Elsa away to her room to play with Barbie’s and they left in Kristoff’s Jeep. He was different. Distracted. She had been wondering all day how things with his ex had gone and she only had to assume that it didn't go very well.

He hadn’t said a single word since they had started driving and she had no idea where he was taking her. They had passed a lot of places she figured they could stop at for dinner, but he kept heading across the city.

“Where are we going?” Anna asked, unable to stand it anymore.

“Your place,” he said, not meeting her eyes.

Anna felt herself flush with heat all the way to her core, but she said nothing. Her heart sped up in her chest at the sudden intense anticipation.

He parked and they ascended to her floor without another word. His lips were on hers as soon as the door was shut behind them, and he was pushing her gently against the wall. His kisses deepened, his tongue grazing every inch of her mouth as his hands slid down her waist and settled on her hips.

She felt her own desire blossom with heat between her legs as he pushed his arousal up against her, groaning her name against her lips before he moved his mouth down the line of her jaw and onto neck. 

“God Anna, I’ve wanted you for so long...” he muttered against her skin.

“I’ve wanted you too,” she breathed as his hand came up and cupped her breast. She pushed him away gently and yanked off her shirt with impatience, wanting his touch directly on her skin. She quickly unclasped her bra and let it fall at her feet as she met his eyes.

She felt dizzy in his hungry gaze. It was intoxicating. 

“Beautiful...” he whispered as he pulled his own shirt over his head and tossed it mindlessly aside. He pulled her close, his palms gliding across the plane of her shoulders and bare back, coming to rest on either side of her waist as he hugged her tightly to his magnificent chest.

“I love you,” he muttered before he let her go and pulled her towards her bedroom.

*****

He laid her gently on her bed and straightened to look at her, taking in her bare breasts and how her loose hair splayed out onto the covers above her head. _She’s_ _a Goddess._

He leaned over, poking at the button of her pants, looking at her for permission. She nodded and bit her lower lip. He undid her jeans and slowly pulled them off her shapely legs then stood back to admire her again, clad only in a pair of black panties that didn’t really cover very much.

He leaned in to take them off, but she wedged her foot gently against his chest. “You first,” she said and pushed him back upright as she sat up and placed her hands on his belt and undid it. She let her hands work slowly as she unfastened the button and slid down the zipper, purposely brushing her knuckles against his bulge as she did so. His jeans fell at his ankles and she stroked her hand down his length. He groaned, desperately wanting to rid the thin layer of underwear between him and her touch. He could not wrench his gaze from her face as she pulled his boxer briefs down slowly, teasing him.

He watched her take in the sight of him when he finally stood naked before her with raw lust in her eyes. She laid her self back down and scooted her body all the way onto the bed and invited him to join her with a soft exhale of _I want you._

He started at her neck, as he ran his thumb over a pert nipple, and slowly kissed his way down between the swell of her breasts, the flat plane of her stomach to the hem of her underwear. He sat up and pulled them slowly down, watching the fabric as it slid off her legs before he turned his gaze up to her naked splendor.

He smiled. “Ah, it’s a sunflower.” He leaned over and ran his thumb lightly against the ink that marked her skin right beside her patch of ginger curls. “Why a sunflower?” He asked, looking up into eyes.

“I dunno. I just like them. They remind me of summer,” she said with hooded eyes as she slid her hands into his hair. He let his touch journey to her most intimate of places and stroked at her opening as she moaned his name softly. Her wetness seemed to make him even harder, if that was even possible, and his desire for her became almost unbearable. 

He was about to take his touch further when she yanked on his hair, making him focus on her face. “I want you first, before anything else, I want to feel you first, please.”

He moved to hover above her, but she pushed him onto his back and crawled on top of him. He could not help but marvel at her beauty. She was the picture of perfection. A Goddess, right there, in his hands.

She lowed herself onto him so slowly that he thought he might actually scream with frustration, until he was finally wrapped completely within her glorious warmth. She looked down at him, eyes half closed and dark with desire. “I love you...” she whispered.

“I love you, Anna,” he breathed as she started to move herself against him. His hands fluttered up to her hips, resting with a light touch on her soft skin. She was just so... gorgeous.

_Oh My God... she feels so good_. She thrust herself against him only about a dozen times before he realized he was in trouble. 

“Anna, stop. Stop a second.” 

She obliged, sliding open her eyes and looking down at him in question.

“Give me a sec,” he mumbled and clamped his eyelids tight in concentration. He thought about the most God-awful things to try and lower his level of arousal. It took him a lot longer than he thought it would, but he finally opened his eyes to meet hers and nodded quickly.

But as soon as she started to move against him, that sensation was back in an instant. He held on, as tight as he could he held on, until he found that cusp again way too soon. “Stop, stop, stop.”

She did stop, but her arousal pulsed innocently against his length and it sent him just past the point of no return. 

“Shit,” he grunted and gripped her hips firmly, moving her against him and pulling her down tightly as he came seconds later, moaning her name.

His mind went blank as his body gave way to the pleasure. With his eyes shut he relished in the sensation until he was finally released from it and his thoughts began to work again.  
 _Fuck man, you are pathetic...._  
 _Come on, you haven’t had sex in like 5 years, no wonder you couldn’t last...  
If only she had let me touch her first...  
This is not her fault and you know that!  
You are terrible...  
She felt so good! How in the name of hell did that feel so fucking good?  
You suck Bjorgman..._

He opened his eyes to look at her just as she slid off of him and walked to the bathroom, but he couldn’t see her face well enough to gauge her mood. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed and buried his face in his palms, completely mortified.

*****

Anna cleaned herself from him and washed her hands as she looked in the mirror. She didn’t always like what she saw, always thinking of herself as plain compared to her sister’s stunning beauty, but in that moment, she felt gorgeous. No man had ever made her feel so... sexy… desired.... _loved._ She was riding on a high; not from his body, but from his attention, and it gave her an even deeper sense of satisfaction. Something she realized that she had never felt before.

When she emerged from the bathroom, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with his face buried in his hands. She felt her heart ache at seeing him so dejected. He didn’t even seem to notice she had re-entered the room until she sat on the bed and he lifted his head.

“Kristoff?” she asked quietly, but he didn’t turn around. She got to her knees and pressed her chest into his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I’m so sorry Anna. I just... it was just too much all at once. You are just so... God, you are beautiful, and I love you and...” he sighed heavily. “Oh my God, I am the _worst_.”

“Kristoff it doesn’t-” 

He turned in her embrace so she loosened her grip on his neck to look at him. "I wanted it to be perfect for you the first time and I fucked it up.”

She smiled at him. “You most certainly did not. And I’ll bet if you let me help, we can get you in a position to go again.”

“Yes, of course I will make sure you are taken care of Anna, but I...” His eyes were searching hers, as if he was afraid to disappoint her again, but she knew he wouldn’t. Her desire still burned hot between her legs and she wanted nothing more than to simply feel completely filled by him again, regardless of the outcome. 

His gaze settled on her lips and he kissed her, twisting his body around and pressing her firmly into the mattress.

He did not disappoint her again.   
Hot damn, he did not disappoint her.

*****

Anna couldn’t take her eyes off him as he drove them for a bite to eat. She literally _could not_ tear her gaze away from his features, lazily scanning his entire profile as he drove without a word.

He glanced over and caught her eyes wandering over his face.

“What?” he said trying to sound grumpy, but there was a pull of a smile at the corner of is mouth.

“Nothing. Just admiring you.”

“Well stop it. You’re making me uncomfortable.” He said in a huff, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

“That was... my God that was perfect.”

His face fell. “I would hardly call it perfect.” She knew he was still concentrating on the first time, and not the second, where he brought her to two intense body-rattling orgasms.

“I thought it was perfect,” she muttered, upset that it didn’t seem to mean as much to him as it had meant to her.

He looked over at the hurt in her voice. “I’m sorry. It was, you are right, it was perfect. _You_ were perfect. I just wish I had preformed better... well the first time anyway.”

“Why are you so stuck on that?”

“Because I’m incredibly embarrassed. I don’t think I was that quick even my first time, and I was a horny-as-fuck 17-year-old.”

Anna had to laugh. “Well, for what it’s worth, it’s kind of flattering.”

“Yeah right.”

“No, it is!” She insisted. “Do you know how everything you did made me feel so desired and... gorgeous.”

“You _are_ gorgeous.”

“Yeah, but I don't feel like that every day. Actually, I rarely feel that way. But tonight, you made me feel so incredible that I can’t even explain it to you in a way you would ever understand.”

He looked at her with soft eyes. “Yeah?”

“Do you know how many times you called me a Goddess?”

“I did?” He looked a little surprised, obviously unaware how many times he whispered that word into her ear. “I was definitely thinking it, I...uh, didn’t know I said it out loud.”

_Goddess..._  
Almost like a chant as he touched her in a way she had never been touched before, peppering her body with gentle kisses. His attentive fingers brought her so close, but he backed off, taking a moment to find her lips with his again and kiss her the way she always wanted to be kissed. She felt his ever-growing arousal against her side, and she wanted it. She wanted it so badly, so she asked for it, and he hovered above her and pushed himself slowly into her desire. She lifted her hips up to him with every deep thrust, and she found her release quicker than she thought she would. She moaned his name as her body shuddered in pleasure, and when she finally opened her eyes, he was looking down at her with a tender smile. She almost laughed when he had asked if she wanted to keep going, but instead she positioned herself on his lap again without a word. She kissed him as she moved herself against him in a way that she knew would take her where she wanted to go. Time seemed to stand still as she gave herself to the sensation of pleasure until it gave way to complete gratification once again. When she slid open her eyes she was met with his reverence once again, so she started to move her body again in a way that she knew he would enjoy, and he did so with his eyes closed and his brow crinkled as his body tensed below her. She watched his face as it contorted with pleasure, expecting to hear her name, but she heard her appellation again instead.  
Goddess...

“Anna?”

“Huh? Sorry I zoned out there.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“You, of course. Your magnificent body. The way you made me feel.”

“Stop it, you’ll make me blush,” he teased, but she was tickled by the hue of pink spreading across his cheeks. “Anyway, we’re here.”

Anna looked up at the sign of the Italian restaurant he had taken her too. “Oh excellent. I’m famished.”

*****

“Dinner couldn't have been _that_ good,” Elsa said as they were driving back to Anna’s apartment.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Anna said innocently.

“Oh come on! You have had a shit eating grin on your face ever since you got back. What’s the deal?”

Anna smiled at her sister. “Let’s just say I finally got to tackle that linebacker.”


	14. Chapter 14

They were running through their contemporary when his hand slipped on one of the lifts and Anna fell from his grasp towards the floor. Kristoff was quick enough to catch her awkwardly by the waist, giving her a soft landing on the hardwood, but wrenched his back as he did so.

He called out in surprise and pain and collapsed into a heap as Anna scrambled to his side. “Oh my God, are you okay?”

Kristoff could not find his voice over the pain in his back. He squirmed, trying desperately to alleviate the pressure that was concentrated below his right shoulder blade. 

He was vaguely aware that Anna had pushed him onto his stomach and she was kneading her fingers into his back where he was trying to grab at the pain. It hurt so much that he almost batted her hand away, then it slowly started to feel better under her gentle pressure.

Her fingers worked over the area until he no longer felt the terrible cramp. He inhaled deeply and slowly sat up to face her, remembering that they were being filmed. 

“Charlie Horse,” he muttered.

Anna nodded. “They suck, don’t they?”

They were both distracted and he knew it was the reason for the slip. His visit with Laura in the morning had earned him the same four words and nothing else. _I never wanted this,_ seemed to be on repeat in his brain.

He had told Anna everything and they had talked about it at length during dinner the previous night. They both came to the conclusion that it was something to worry about since they were both thinking of Autumn first and foremost. He realized too, that it was the first they had ever talked about their kids in a way that included both of their thoughts and opinions, as if they were both _their_ kids. He thought about it that night in bed, wondering what it would be like to have a son, even if it wasn’t his own flesh and blood. He loved Kody, as he supposed that Anna loved Autumn, because they were the spawn of each other, and because they were the two most delightful kids in the world. He knew that with time, that love and bond would only grow, and he hoped that one day Kody might be comfortable enough to call him ‘Dad’, just as he hoped his daughter would one day call Anna ‘Mom’.

“Let’s take a breather, then we’ll run through it again,” Anna said, but he could read her eyes. _Just wait until these fucking camera’s are out of here._

Kristoff got up and stretched out his back as he walked to get himself a shit ton of water, knowing full well that was part of the reason for the cramp. Anna followed him and did the same.

“We’re going to wrap it.” One of the filming crew called to them as they began to take down their set up. 

“Okay, thanks guys,” Anna said and turned her eyes to Kristoff. They looked at each other silently until the last member of the crew was shutting the door to the studio behind him. Their lips were on each other the instant they were alone.

“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he said between kisses.

“Me too,” Anna sighed. “But we have a hell of a lot of work to do. We still have three mini dances to figure out you know. The dance-offs can be pretty tough if we don’t have a killer routine.”

He buried his face into her neck. “I know,” he mumbled. He knew that his mornings being pre-occupied with Laura were going to haunt him. Dammit if that woman would ever stop his torment.

*****

“I never wanted this,” she said again not meeting his eyes.

“Laura, please, just talk to me. I need an explanation.” Kristoff was so tired of it all. Tired of her attitude. All week she said the same thing and nothing else. He really didn’t know why he bothered trying anymore.

She was the same every day, refusing to say anything else to him. He supposed that he should just give up, but he knew he wouldn’t, because he loved his daughter more than anything in the entire world, and she had already asked when she could talk to her Mommy on the phone again. It had pained his heart to conceal the truth from her, simply stating that Mommy was too sick to talk.

“Laura, please. You must still care about something. You have to still care about Autumn, right?”

Silence. _Fuck I hate this woman_.

He found George again in the waiting room, always making sure to give Kristoff privacy when he tried to talk to his ex wife. “Anything?” he asked, as he noticed him walk in.

“Nope,” Kristoff huffed, sitting beside his brother in law. 

“She’ll come around...” he muttered, sounding completely unconvinced at his own words.

“Will she?” Kristoff muttered back.

They said nothing for a time, simply hating the whole situation without having to talk about it. “Are you sure you’re okay alone at Laura’s?”

George laughed. “You mean the house you bought for her so she had somewhere to live. Yeah, I’m fine at _her_ place.”

“You’re welcome to come back and stay with me you know. I like having you around Georgie.”

“I know I’m welcome, Kristoff. But man, I smoke too much and I’m worried about bringing all that second hand smoke into your house... you know, with Autumn and all. Not to mention _her_ place is just sitting there empty, seems like someone should be looking after it... mowing the lawn and all that.”

Kristoff could not ignore the edge in his voice. “That really burnt you, didn’t it? When we split up?”

“You know what burnt me? The fact that she cheated on you and neglected that sweet little girl. That’s what burnt me,” George huffed. “And I’m sorry I became so distant when you split, but I was just so ashamed... that my sister could do that to you.... to both of you...”

“I understand George, and for what it’s worth, it never made me think any less of you. You must know that, right?”

He sighed. “Yeah, I get it. Still...”

“Well come on over for a bite tomorrow night. Anna and her sister will be there too, have a couple of beers and watch some baseball with us.”

George smiled at him. “Okay, sure. That sounds good.”

*****

Kristoff was catching his breath while he leaned against the wall beside Anna, when he heard a squeal of “Mommy” from the door. He looked over to see Kody with a big smile, running towards Anna as she crouched down to take him into her arms.

“Hey Little Man! This is a nice surprise!” The joy he saw on her face in that instant made his heart ache.

Kristoff looked over to see a small blonde woman and an auburn-haired fellow walk slowly into the studio. He felt instantly uneasy when he realized that it was the man who cheated on a Goddess.

_She’s your Goddess now. Don’t worry about that SOB._

“I hope this is okay to just pop in,” Hans said to Anna as he gave Kristoff a quick once over before looking back to her. “Kody wanted to see you and we were in the area.”

“Of course,” Anna said, huge smile on her face. “I was missing my little guy. This is such a nice treat.”

There was an awkward silence between them all, but of course it was Anna who remedied it by making the introductions. Kristoff shook hands with them both, cringing inwardly when he did so with Hans. Despite what Anna had told him about her ex was striving to be a better person, he still looked like a slimeball. _Who the hell has sideburns anymore anyway...?_

Hans looked to his ex wife. “Can I talk to you a moment?”

Anna nodded and motioned for him to follow her as they walked to the far end of the large studio. Kristoff couldn’t help but want to keep an eye on her. If there was one thing in the world he knew that could cause tension, it was an ex.

*****

“So, Kody told me you were kissing that man,” Hans said, tilting his head where Kristoff stood with Kody and Brooke on the other side of the studio. “Are you seeing him?”

“Yeah. What’s it to you?” She was suddenly defensive, knowing that a shit storm was coming. He had the same stance he had before, when they used to get into an argument, like he was purposely trying to seem so much taller than her. He just looked silly to her now, his 5′10″ stature seeming pathetic next to how she had gotten used to looking up further at Kristoff.

“Well, I think that maybe I should have a talk with him, before you get all serious.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Anna said through gritted teeth. 

“Brooke wants to hold off on the wedding. Did you know that? She said you guys had a heart-to-heart in the park.”

“So?”

“So!?” He threw his hands up and raised his voice. “You have no right to fuck with my life like that.”

Anna looked over to the glances from Kristoff, Kody and Brooke. Her son and her ex’s mistress seemed fearful and concerned, but Kristoff looked like he was ready to launch across the room and strangle Hans for speaking to her that way.

“Out in the hall. Now!” she growled at her ex. He followed her out of the studio and she shut the door behind them, trying hard not to slam it. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, Anna. That was uncalled for, and you know it.”

“No, you know what was uncalled for? Getting a fucking twenty-three-year-old girl pregnant when you were married! You can’t possibly be that dumb, can you?”

“Anna, she wants to wait to get married now because of what you said. What if she decides to leave me all together? What if I never get to see my kid? Have you thought about what it will be like for Kody to know he has a half sibling he never gets to see? Christ, what if she moves back to the East Coast?”

“Yeah, and what if five years down the road and two kids later, you cheat on her, huh? What about that? What if she decides then that she’s had enough of your horse shit, and now Kody has a bond built with his siblings and they move away, as you mentioned? Say what you want about not repeating your mistakes, but you’ve always had a wondering eye, and you know it!”

He was never good at getting the last word in. Probably because he was always in the wrong with every argument they ever had. He eyed her silently with anger, knowing full well that she was right. 

“You made the bed Hans. You have to lie in it.”

He gritted his teeth. “Fuck, I fucking hate it so much when you’re right. You know that?” 

“You want some free advice; _just talk to her._ This is between you guys now. I won’t say anything else, but I had to say what I had to say, and I don’t regret it.”

“I know,” he nodded with a roll of his eyes. “But honestly Anna, I really am committed to not repeat my mistakes. At least she says she still wants to get married, but after the baby gets a bit older, and things aren’t so _... tiring_.”

“Well I hope things work out for you guys, I really do.”

“I think they will, and I’m actually a little relieved to put the wedding on hold. She wanted me to stay sober with her... at our wedding. My wedding! Can you believe that?”

“Pffft, you fucking lush.” Anna mocked him and they both smiled. She was happy that things could be, for the most part, amicable between them. It made things so much easier for Kody. Her heart fell thinking about Kristoff and his ex, and the hell she was putting him through. The hell she was putting them all through.

“So, you and that Kristoff guy really are a thing huh?”

She nodded. “We most certainly are.”

“Is it serious?”

“It is. Very serious.”

Hans sighed. “I guess I should get used to seeing more of him then huh?”

“Yup.” Anna had to admit it, even though they never talked about it. “He’s a permanent fixture from now on.”

*****

“Is everything okay?” Kristoff asked her when Hans, Brooke and Kody had left. 

“Yeah, he was just miffed that I suggested to Brooke to hold off on the wedding.”

“Ah. I see,” Kristoff mumbled.

“What’s on your mind?” They both sat side by side in the row of chairs against the wall, mindlessly intertwining their fingers in each others hand.

“Nothing. I guess I’m just a little envious how you seem to be able to get along so well with your ex...and his mistress for God’s sake.” He shook his head. “My God, I wish I had that with Laura.”

“I know, and I am so sorry you don’t.” She hadn’t missed the confused look on his face when she and Hans had come back into the studio, sharing a chuckle over how Kody had made him and Brooke sit through watching her dance with Kristoff on TV last week. She could see it written all over his face that it hurt him to see her get along with her ex.

He sighed deeply. “Well... everything happens for a reason, right?”

Anna hated the dejection in his voice. She hated that he was suffering. She hated that a sweet little girl like Autumn was caught in the middle of it all. 

Anna wanted to make her love feel better and she knew exactly what to do. She leaned over and whispered her intentions into his ear.

She was absolutely thrilled by the sudden fervor in his eyes as he nodded an approval. She got up and dragged him with her down the hall to one of the smaller dressing rooms and locked the door behind them. She pushed him onto the sofa in the corner and knelt in front of him, tugging at his pants. He lifted his hips slightly when she had them undone, so she could slide them down his legs. 

She took a hold on him with one hand, and lightly danced her fingers on his skin with the other, delighted in the way he laid his head back and moaned. She knew this act of love was going to get her hotter than hell, but she didn’t care. She would walk it off just to see him become putty in her hands.

She teased him with her touch long enough that he lifted his head and looked at her with gentle impatience, so she dragged her tongue up his length and he shuddered, letting out a deep “oh” of satisfaction.

Anna did that a few times, until he whined her name with eagerness. She slid her mouth down as far as she could. 

It had certainly been a very long time since she had done it, but she knew how far she was able to go without gagging herself, something which Hans had never seemed to care about. Every time, he had pushed her head further down, almost making her sick to the point where she had stopped offering and denied every request for it.

She glanced at Kristoff’s hands as she worked her mouth on him, noticing that they were gripping the edge of the couch cushion on either side of his legs. _Of course he would be too much of a gentleman to push you down._ But she would be lying of she said she didn’t at least want his fingers in her hair.

She stopped and asked him to do so and he obliged with a happy sigh as she went back to bringing him pleasure. His hands were gently cupping the back of her head, but he was putting absolutely no pressure on her, as she knew he wouldn’t.

She had to laugh at how there was so much more of Kristoff to take in. She decided to try push her own capabilities a little further, thinking he wouldn’t notice, but a “Oh my God” from his lips seemed to suggest that he did.

She felt him tense before he even said anything; “Oh! Oh Anna...” he said to give her warning so she could finish the way she chose to, but she kept going, having already made up her mind what she was going to do, even way back when she offered the first time in his Jeep, she knew she would take him.

And she did. She accepted what he gave her, and while in the past she always found it unpleasant, she enjoyed it with Kristoff, because she realized that it was different with him. _He_ was different. _He_ was her soulmate. Her One and Only. _Her True Love._ Suddenly it became something she wanted to do, rather than something she felt she had to.

She looked up and he was staring down at her with adoration. “Now let me return the favor.” 

“Oh Kristoff you don’t have to-” 

He was already standing and yanking up his pants. He picked her up off her knees and laid her down gently on the edge of the couch, pulling off clothes to make her bare from the waist down.

He returned the favor all right.  
Boy Howdy, did he return the favor.

*****

They both watched the video package, curious to know how everything would play out on screen, and it was fairly neutral considering the intimate knowledge between them. They showed the near-drop of course, building drama around it. But it seemed to come off as anti-climactic since they both seemed to be playing off their affection. When Kristoff looked down at Anna, she was a little surprised that she didn’t see his game face. It was only the dance face, as she somehow suspected it would now forever be.

They started the routine like a rehearsal, but a few moves in and she could feel the audience and the noise fade away. All there was in that moment, was Kristoff, his steady brown eyes and his impossibly strong arms, lifting her and twirling her and making her feel weightless like an angel as she threw herself up in the air, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be there to catch her. She could see it in his eyes too, that they were both stuck in a world where it was only each other. He looked at her the same way he looked when they were making love; complete and unrelenting trust and devotion.

She realized in that moment too, that despite taking out some of the overly sexual running of hands over each others bodies, that the dance was indeed very real. She hadn’t seen it when it was just them practicing in front of a mirror, but she could see it now, plain as day. They were showing the world exactly what they meant to each other.

The final pose was meant to be a tender hug; a simple gesture of their love. Kristoff slid his arms under hers, and lifted her so that they were shoulder to shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he gently held her, with one hand pushed up into her hair, nestling his face in the crook of her neck. They were both so swept up in the moment, that he whispered "I love you” into her ear.

She whispered it back, without a second thought while the crowd took to their feet and went wild. 

She came back to reality then, realizing that Kristoff was still holding her in the embrace, probably a second too long to be considered anything besides ‘fully giving yourself’ to the performance. That’s when she also remembered that they were mic’d, and there was no doubt in her mind that their whispered devotions would be broadcast to the world next week when their video package was being compiled.

Kristoff finally put her down, and the look in his eyes told her he had just realized the same thing.

They went to get their comments, amidst the roar of cheers and whistles, so much so that Tom had to ask the audience to quiet to hear the judges, which as expected gave rave reviews seeming to focus on their undeniable chemistry first and foremost.

As expected, they were given a perfect score. They hugged each other at the result, and Kristoff once again held her a second or two too long. _Why does he keep doing that?_

They didn’t talk until it was time to find out which dance they would have to do for the dance off. Anna had tried to figure out his mood, but he seemed to have reverted back to the quiet watchful person he had been when she had first met him. 

Kristoff squeezed her hand with a smile when they ended up with the Samba. She knew he was excited in that moment at least, since the Samba was what they both wanted. It was the one they thought was the best of the three mini dance numbers they prepared.

They started dancing along side a former golf pro from Team East Coast while the graphics on the screen behind them dictated what people on twitter were voting, as they watched the live dance. Kristoff tired not to look at the screen, but he was seeing a lot of red out of the corner of his eye, and he knew the voting must be in their favor.

When the dance off was done, Team Kristoff and Anna had 83% of the votes. The judges seemed to agree too, and they all held up a paddle with their names on it, in unanimous agreement that they had done a better dance.

When the double elimination came at the end of the night, it was no surprise that they were yet again, announced as safe.


	15. Chapter 15

Kristoff was snoring softly in her ear, but that was not what was keeping her awake. It was a multitude of things running though her mind that would not let her rest. First and foremost was her worry over Kristoff. 

She had tried to speak with him about the end of their contemporary dance and their whisperers to each other, but he had shaken his head with a sad smile and said he did not want to talk about it. For the rest of the night he had been quiet and distant. Not outwardly rude, and he answered when anyone talked to him, but he was short and to the point, hiding his emotions behind a mask.

She thought once Autumn was in bed and they had gone to his room that they could at least discuss it, but he had simply stripped to his underwear and crawled into bed with eyes that said he wanted her to join him.

She shrugged internally and did the same, stripping down to her panties and getting into bed beside him, fully expecting that he would pull her in for a kiss, but he slid is hand around her waist and turned her back to him, pulling her towards his body. He curled his arm around her as she nestled into him, his big palm coming to rest on her bare breast.

She had wondered how tired he must have been, how many sleepless nights he must have had, to fall asleep so quickly after he said “I love you, Anna” into her ear. She knew that Laura was taking a toll on him. It was on her too of course, but it was Kristoff who had to shoulder the burden.

She snuggled herself closer to his body, already way too warm against his heat, but she just _needed_ to touch as much of him as she could. His fingers twitched against her breast in his sleep, and he sighed softly, but soon resumed his gentle snore.

She worried about the show too, and the impact it would have on him when they aired their love for each other, but her mind still crept back to Kristoff’s ex. The last thought she had before she finally found sleep, was of wanting to go down to that hospital, and smack some sense into that woman herself.

*****

Anna waited patiently in the studio, trying to work on some choreography when she saw the dances they would be doing on their show sheet, but she was so distracted that she had a hard time coming up with any sort of creative content.

She had woken to a kiss from Kristoff, telling her he was heading to the hospital early, to try and get some headway with Laura, and she didn’t have a chance to talk to him about the many things that were on her mind, and it left her feeling extremely anxious.

When he finally did show up, a lot later than she expected, they were immediately asked to meet with the producer, barely even getting in a quick greeting to each other. Anna had to figure they must have been waiting for Kristoff to show before they were summoned, so they followed the assistant down the hall and took a seat in the producer’s office without another word to each other.

“Well, as I’m sure you know, the mic’s picked up what you both said to each other after the dance last night.” The producer said.

Anna nodded slightly, but Kristoff remained stoic.

“While something like that is absolutely ratings gold, I would be lying if I said I wasn't having a bit of a moral dilemma here.” He sat back in his chair and regarded them a moment. “If it was anything else... a naughty tease, a quip about a date, something like that, and we would not be having this discussion. But watching it back, and seeing how real and emotional it was between you, I can’t in good conscience air it unless you give me permission.”

“You’re actually asking for our permission first?” Anna said, while Kristoff remained silent. She had never been asked if it was okay to air something that had been said between her and a partner before. It was stipulated right in the contracts they had signed, that they gave the show the rights to air anything that was filmed, which included whatever they said to each other while mic’d.

“I am. I would very much like to use it of course, but if you would rather I left it between the two of you, I most certainly will.”

Anna looked to Kristoff, but he kept his focus on the producer. “I don’t care,” he deadpanned and got up and walked out of the office.

Anna shot the producer a look to tell him that was most certainly not their answer, as she stood. 

“Well let me know when you both come to a decision, but I have a show to work on here. I’ll need you to tell me before the end of the day.” He told her before she went after Kristoff.

_God he’s walking fast, where the hell did he go?_ She hurried down the hallway to the studio, figuring that's where he would be. Her heart hammered nervously in her chest. She hadn’t been able to talk to him about his morning in the hospital, and she could tell by the look on his face when he strolled in that it was not good.

The studio was empty, and his Jeep was still in the parking lot. _Where the fuck did he go?_ She hurried down the hall towards the ballroom, wondering if he had gone in there, when she heard a muffled sniff from one of the dark dressing rooms. She paused at the doorway, barely able to make out his body sitting on the couch from the light in the hall.

“Kristoff?” she said softly as she walked into the room.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffed again, obviously very emotional.

Anna sat beside him and pulled his body to hers as she leaned back against the cushions, resting his head on her breasts. His big arm curled around her and hugged her tightly. She ran her fingers up into his hair and waited. He remained quiet for a long time before he broke the silence.

“I’m sorry Anna, I’m just having a really hard time with everything right now. It’s just.... it’s all too much.”

“I know Kristoff. It’s okay,” she said softly.

“I’m trying not to let her effect me, but she is. She’s killing me. She is _killing me..._ ” His voice hitched as he was struggling to keep his composure. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don't know what to tell Autumn about all this...”

Anna couldn’t hold back the burn in her eyes. She let her angry tears come silently. “What did she say to you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

“Nothing! Nothing at all. She’s.... she’s like a zombie or something. A ghost. I don’t know.” She felt him hug her a little tighter, nestling his head further under her chin. “She’s supposed to be going to rehab, but of course she hasn’t given any consent, and the psychiatrist I got in there isn’t doing jack shit.”

“Well he’s only been there for two days with her right, maybe he’ll make some headway with a little time?”

“Maybe...” He trailed off.

Anna wasn’t sure what to say. She knew there was little she could offer to make him feel better. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse and she hoped desperately that Laura would soon come to her senses.

“He want’s me to bring her there,” he said finally, head still resting on her.

“Who?”

“Autumn. The psychiatrist, Dr. Standen, thinks that I should bring my daughter there to see her mother.”

That thought sent cold shivers down her spine. “I think you need to get a new psychiatrist.”

He pulled back from her, but she could not make out his face in the dark room, but she could see his head nod. “I agree.”

*****

Anna knocked on the producer’s door and entered when she heard a muffled ‘come in’. He looked up expectantly.

“Hi Jason. We decided we would like to have it left out of the show. Please.” she said, approaching his desk.

“Alright then.”

“And thank you for asking. I, uh, we, really appreciate and respect that you gave the choice to us.”

A slow smile spread across Jason’s face. “Think nothing of it. And for what it’s worth, I’m really happy for you both. The other day I was looking over the interviews from when he first started to now, and Anna I have to tell you, you are doing all kinds of good things for that man.”

Anna blushed and mumbled a “Thank you” before finding her way back to the studio.

She found Kristoff waiting quietly in one of the chairs, so she sat beside him with the show sheet and filled him in on the two dances they would be working on that week.

“The dance we got first is the Tango, and I am supposed to decide on the music because the pros are supposed to pick a song that represents their feelings towards their partner.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow to her with a look of _are you fucking kidding me?_

“Yeah, yeah, I know, they keep piling it on, don’t they? But the second dance is the trio dance, so they are going to tell us later this week which other pro we will be dancing with, and it’s a Cha Cha.”

“And that is?”

“A fast paced, sensual Latin dance.”

Kristoff let out a quick laugh and shook his head. “Of course it is.”

She knew what he was thinking. On top of their blossoming relationship, they once again had to let the viewers into it, because there was no pretending when they put their hands on each other anymore, as there had been in the beginning. Not since they danced the Rumba had they ever had to fake their genuine attraction, and now she had to pick a song to sum up her feelings for the man she was in love with.

*****

They were about half way through practicing their Tango routine, when Jason came into the studio and asked the crew to stop filming. Anna’s heart dropped at the angry redness in his face.

“Hello Anna, Kristoff,” he said, giving them each a quick nod.

“Jason, what’s wrong.” Anna said.

He inhaled sharply and clamped his jaw tight for a second. “The EP caught wind of the audio between you two-”

“EP?” Kristoff interrupted.

“Executive Producer. Mr. Moneybags himself. He heard about that moment between you guys and he’s going over my head to use it.”

Anna looked to Kristoff as he hung his head and silently walked over to the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Anna turned her attention back to Jason when he spoke.

“I’m sorry, Anna. I tried to talk him out of it, but he doesn’t give a shit. He just cares about ratings.”

“It’s okay, Jason. I know he has the final say. Thanks anyway, for trying.”

“It gets worse. He wants me to bring it up in the weekly interview. He uh, wants us to - and these are his words not mine - get all the dirty little details about your relationship.”

Anna was flabbergasted. She had been so relieved that Jason would spare them their intimate moment and now they were being forced to show millions of people something that was private between them.

“I’m working on it though Anna, I want you to know that. I do have some tact and I won’t make it gritty and dirty as suggested. This is still my production after all.”

“Thanks Jason,” Anna mumbled, turning back to look at Kristoff as he sat staring into space.

“I’m also arranging it so that you two can see the entire video package before we go live, so at least you won’t have to watch it for the first time in front of all those people. It’s hush-hush though, you understand.”

“I do, and I appreciate that. Thank you.” 

He nodded quickly and left without another word.

Anna walked over slowly and took a seat beside Kristoff. “Are you going to be okay with this?”

He raised his head and looked straight forward. “You know what? If they want to put this all on display, then let’s just go all in.” He turned to look at her, a glimmer of defiance. “I don’t care if the world knows I’m head over heals in love with you, so let’s just put it out there.”

“Yeah?” She asked, wondering if his decision was coming from his heart, or a need to simplify things in his mind.

“Yes, Anna. I’m tired of pretending there’s nothing going on between us when there is... _so much_ going on.” He turned his body towards her, grabbing on of her hands between his. “I thought I knew what love was. I thought I had been in love before, but now, with you, I realize how naïve I was to think it was the real thing. This, us, this is the real thing, and it’s...” He shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t find the words.

“I understand Kristoff, I do. I feel it too.” She pulled her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pushed her lips to his. His arms found her, and pulled her closer as she slid from his lips, kissing his way to a gentle nibble on his ear lobe when the perfect love song to dance a Tango to hit her, and she whispered her idea into his ear.

He pulled back from her, a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and most likely disgust that she would actually suggest that song. “Anna, no... not _that_ song.”

She grinned at him with her evil intent of using such a cliché song, knowing that it was the perfect way to satiate the thirst of greedy viewers. 

*****

“TGIF right?” George said as he walked into the waiting room at the end of the hospital where Kristoff was waiting for him.

He laughed. “You got that right Georgie. As soon as I get home tonight, I am going to crack open a cold one and put my feet up.”

“Yeah, it’s been one bitch of a week, hasn’t it?” George said, handing Kristoff a cup of vending machine coffee as he sat beside him. “How long has that new psychiatrist been in there anyway?”

Kristoff glanced at the clock on the wall. “Three hours.”

“Look, if you need to get to the studio, I can fill you in.”

Kristoff shook his head. “I’d rather just wait. Dr. Andersen comes highly recommended. I want to be able to ask him some questions.”

They engaged in some small talk and it wasn’t long before the doctor came in to talk with them. 

“I think that the best thing for Laura right now would be to come to my facility for the mentally ill.”

“You mean take her to an insane asylum?” George stammered.

“Mental Health Facility,” The Doctor corrected. “There she would be put on the proper medication and receive round the clock care. This hospital is doing nothing for her.”

“Medication? It was some kind of pills that landed her here in the first place. Shouldn’t she be going to rehab?” Kristoff asked, mind still whirling from the thought that Laura was headed for the loony bin.

“Well abuse of any medication will certainly result in an overdose, but she will be monitored very closely and we will only administer medication that we deem might help her. Your wife-”

“Ex-wife,” Kristoff sighed.

“Pardon me. Laura is in a catatonic state and she needs the proper treatment. She will receive it at my facility and I think it would be best to move her there immediately.”

“Where is this facility?” George asked.

“It’s just outside of San Bernardino.”

“Well that’s not far at least,” George said, looking to Kristoff. “Shouldn’t be too bad to get there.”

“She won’t be able to have visitors for some time,” Dr. Andersen said to both of them. “We need to bring her out of her current state and work with her to restore her mental health. Therefore, I am afraid to inform you, she will have to be isolated.”

Kristoff felt his stomach knot, but the Doctor was talking again before he could think about it. “I suggest that we move her there as soon as possible. May I suggest that we aim for this afternoon.”

“This afternoon?” George choked. “This is all happening a little fast...”

“The truth of the matter is, her situation is dire. The sooner she get’s the help she needs, the better.”

George met Kristoff’s eyes and they both gave each other a slight nod in agreement. He turned back to the doctor. “Alright. Let me know what you need from me and I'll see it done.”

*****

“Mommy is sick?”

Kristoff gulped hard, almost choking on the impossibly painful lump in his throat. He promised himself he would be strong in front of his daughter. He promised. “Yes sweetheart. She’s in a hospital where she can get better.”

“Can we visit her?” 

“No, angel, she’s very sick. She needs to rest.” 

“Is she going to be okay?” Her tiny tears broke his heart, but somehow, he held it back. He just hoped his daughter wouldn’t notice how badly he was shaking.

“I’m not sure yet honey.” He couldn’t lie to her. Not even then. “But she has some excellent doctors taking care of her, okay?”

He hugged his daughter as she cried, while blinking away the sting of tears that pressed agonizingly on his eyes. She calmed after a while, murmuring that she hoped mommy would be okay. She ran her nose across her sleeve when Kristoff laid her back into bed. “Say your wishes for Mommy tonight, okay pumpkin?"

“Okay Daddy.”

*****

Anna waited in his room, pacing nervously, scared to death of how hard this was going to be on Kristoff. She could not imagine having to have the same conversation with Kody. She suddenly wished that it was already Sunday and it was her two week turn with Kody. She missed him desperately. Being able to stay with Kristoff had at least taken the edge off the loneliness.

She turned to the door when she heard him come in, shoulders slumped and his head hanging low. He closed the door quietly behind him and only made it half way to the bed before he fell to his knees, racked with horrible guttural sounds.

She had seen him get misty eyed. She had seen him outwardly cry. She had even seen him sob, but this was something else. This was raw and full of hurt. It was years and years of torment that she knew stretched well beyond his issues with Laura.

She collapsed beside him, scared for him, and pulled him into her lap as he shuddered. She was too worried to even cry, so she simply rubbed his back as he held onto her waist a little too tight. She was painfully aware he was holding in his true emotion, lest Autumn hear him from down the hall.

It took him a while, but he finally pulled in some long shaky breaths and sat up. “For years I wished that she would be gone from Autumn’s life, and now she will be. Even if she gets better, I can never trust her with Autumn again and I feel like absolute shit about it. How am I going to explain that to her? How am I going to tell her that she can’t see her mother anymore unless I’m there to keep an eye on things? How is she going to understand that?”

“She’s a very smart little girl...” Anna trailed off, knowing that there really was nothing to say and nothing she could do. She knew the flip side of that coin was that Laura never got better, and he would have to explain that one too. “Kristoff, lets just hope that-”

“Can we just maybe not talk about this right now?” he said, gently cutting her off. “I’m drained. I just need to think about something else for a bit,” he smiled wanly. 

“Sure. What do you want to do?”

“Have a drink, or two, or four.”

“And order some fried chicken?”

He smiled. “Now you’re talking.”


	16. Chapter 16

Anna sat beside Kristoff in the producer’s office with her hand clamped tightly in his. They were already in their costumes and were grabbed just before makeup to watch the compiled video. Jason put it on for them and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

It started simply enough, with them running through some of their Tango, and then it cut to a section of the interview when Kristoff was asked what Anna meant to him. ‘Everything’ he answered simply. Then the video cut to the clip from the end of their contemporary dance and they edited the audio so it could be heard clearly. Then back to Kristoff, showing him listening as Jason asked him if the show had brought them together, and he smiled so sweetly before answer that ‘yes, and I am thankful for it every day’. They showed more clips of them practicing their dances for the week, including when it was revealed to them that they would be dancing with Whitney, how they all got into a discussion about their trio dance and some ideas on content. Then back to Kristoff in the chair again, being asked ‘some of the viewers have speculated that you two are in a relationship, and have gone so far as to suggest you are both faking it to get votes. What do you have to say about that?’ Kristoff’s reaction had been to look off camera to Anna, who was standing, watching everything. ‘Oh, it’s real’ he said, with complete sincerity and an air of arrogance that suggested he didn’t give a shit what the viewers thought. Another clip of them in the studio, not hiding their emotions anymore and a tender moment where they hugged each other after running through the dance and Kristoff buried his face in the crook of Anna’s neck, inhaling deeply. Then they cut to Anna when she was asked ‘Does this effect the content of the dance?’ She sat back in the chair and was silent in contemplation a moment before she spoke. ‘Dance is so much more than having the perfect form and the perfect content and getting scored and judged. Dance is an art form. It’s an expression. It tells stories. What better way than through dance, to tell a story of two broken souls who find a second chance at happiness with each other. So yes, I have it in my mind with everything I create, and the content speaks for itself.’ They stayed on Anna and she was asked if the song she picked accurately represented her feelings to her dance partner, and of she had smiled widely and said ‘of course’. 

They looked at each other when it was over. Anna knew that Jason had done them a great justice. The piece was a beautiful representation of their feelings, rather than just a naughty bit about them hooking up. She could see in Kristoff’s eyes that he agreed as he smiled. 

“This is going to start something…” he said.

Anna had to laugh. “Yes, it is. My goodness, we must be crazy.”

_*****_

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you’re far away dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure…_

Kristoff was ignoring the horrible song that he had been done to death, trying hard to make sure to execute the dance properly and not shake his head at Anna. She had a sly smile on her face, absolutely loving every moment of how cheesy it was that they were dancing to that song. _Mocking_ the situation, as she had explained, by picking something so generic it was ridiculous. Kristoff found that he had to agree. It was the best kind of inside joke.

_Don’t want to close my eyes  
I don’t want to fall asleep  
'Cause I’d miss you baby  
And I don’t want to miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I’d still miss you baby  
And I don’t want to miss a thing_

Kristoff had to admit, of all the songs she could have chosen that would have been so much better to represent her feelings, it was nice to be able to hide some of themselves, since their relationship was now public knowledge. What would not be public knowledge, was how when they were diving back to Kristoff’s house a few nights prior, they had intertwined their fingers and sang a _true_ love song to each other. One that accurately seemed to represent their feelings, one that Kristoff knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was going to become _their_ song.

He felt a smile creep on his face thinking about the way her voice sounded singing in harmony with his. He enjoyed singing and it was very special to have Anna sing that song with him. They had both looked at each other in a new way after the song was over, like something they had desperately wanted to know about each other had finally been answered. Something as simple as wondering what each other’s singing voices sounded like. Kristoff had certainly thought that once, and he supposed, that maybe Anna had too.

They finished the dance in a classic pose, but Kristoff surprised himself, and definitely Anna, when he put his lips to hers in a quick, tender kiss. In front of millions of people watching. He had a split second of panic - it was there, he had to admit it - but the absolute ruckus noise of the people in the ballroom reminded him why they had decided to put it all out there in the first place. 

Their scoring was perfect of course and everyone of the other pros and stars gave them words of congratulations and encouragement before they quickly changed and prepped for the next dance.

Kristoff found he truly enjoyed the trio dance. It was amusing to him to have two women to dance with. Whitney and Anna were the same height and build, and the symmetry he had observed when they had practiced seemed to look very unique to him. They did the dance as flawless as they had in dress rehearsal to yet another round of perfect scores. 

Amy, the pop singer, also had a set of perfect scores, so when the time for the eliminations came, it wasn’t all that surprising that she and Maks, and Kristoff and Anna were both headed to the semi finals. They were joined by the young gymnast and a reality tv hunk from one of those god-awful dating shows.

Kristoff realized there were only two more shows left, if he was fortunate enough to make it to the finals, and he found he had mixed feeling about it all. He loved dancing with Anna, seeing her in her element on the show was nothing short of magic, but he also wanted to be done with the circus of it all. He just wanted to take Anna home with him and dance with her in private.

They found Autumn and Kody in the audience afterwards, while Gerda and Elsa were talking and laughing together. 

“You did so good Mommy!” Kody declared, and Autumn had her own congratulations for Kristoff that included something along the lines of an excited, but completely squeamish squeak that they actually kissed on TV.

They each piled into their own vehicles and drove to their own homes. Kristoff was talking to Autumn when she fell quiet and he knew she was asleep. He smiled to himself, but he was sad in his heart that Anna and Kody were going back to their own apartment. He wanted Anna to move in with him, but he knew it was simply not the right time. They still had a lot to learn about each other, and they had a lot of bonding to do with each others kids before they leapt into _family_ scenarios. If there was one thing Kristoff had always been, it was patient, therefore he found comfort in the simple thought of something to look forward to.

He put Autumn in bed and texted Anna, smiling to himself when she texted back right away. 

**Kristoff you should hear what Elsa told me some of the audience was saying watching our dance! They think we’re a sexy couple!**

_You had doubts about that?_

**Lol! Of course not. But it feels good to hear that right?**

_You know what feels even better? When you are in my arms._ It was meant to be a funny quip, but he realized that it just made him sad that she wouldn’t be in his bed when he went to sleep.

**I know. I miss you too. It was nice being so close to you last week.**

_I have an idea let’s plan to take Friday afternoon off and I want you, Kody and your sister to come over for a barbecue and we can all have some fun together._

**That is perfect! Yes let’s do it!**

He had his fingers poised to respond when another text came in.

**Elsa says she’s busy, but Kody and I will be there!**

_I can’t wait. I love you Anna._

**I love you too. See you in the morning. Have a good sleep :)**

_You too. Goodnight :)_

*****

“Guess what?” Anna said bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“What?” Kristoff asked as he set his bag down beside hers and sat to put on his shoes.

“We have Jazz this week, which sucks, but we also have a dance that the judges are picking for us and we got the Argentine Tango! It’s my absolute favorite dance! I am so pumped!”

Kristoff shook his head with a tiny shrug. “And that is different from our other Tango?”

“Oh yes, so much different.” She fished her phone from her bag and tapped on the screen. “Here look,” she said, handing him the phone. He was watching a clip from a previous season of the show and he could immediately see the difference. He suddenly pictured Anna’s legs moving the way the woman in the video was moving hers, and how much lifts he would be able to do with his hands all over her body. It instantly excited him in a way he was not expecting.

“I can see why this is your favorite,” he said, trying to ignore his sudden arousal. “It looks so-”

“Sensual?” she offered.

He groaned. He had to. Blood was flowing without mercy. “Why does everything in dance have to be so _sensual_.” He gave his crotch a pained look.

Anna followed his eyes. “Oh,” she breathed. “What are we going to do about that?”

“We?” Kristoff raised an eyebrow at her.

She bit her lip. “Uh huh. I know exactly how to help you with that.”

She dragged him down the hallway to a dressing room and they locked the door behind them, not bothering with the lights. They undressed each other and found the sofa in the dark. Kristoff let Anna push him into the position she wanted, sitting with his ass on the edge of the cushion. He felt her legs on either side of his hips, and he slid his hand slowly up her inner thigh as she began to kiss him. She allowed his caress, biting his lip as she shuddered under the motions of his touch. 

Suddenly she batted his hand away, and gripped him as she lowered herself down, swirling her hips slowly as she did so. When he was enveloped within her she pushed her chest closer to him, bracing herself with her hands on the wall on either side of his head and began to rock against him. 

His hands ran up and down her torso, from the side of her breasts to the curve of her hips. She hummed her approval and her movements became more forceful. Kristoff was surprised how quickly she became completely silent and her body tensed under his fingers. He knew she was close, so he gave up trying to reign himself in. As soon as he felt her body pulse against his, he gave into his own building pressure.

She found his lips in the dark as their bodies slowly quieted and remained still against him for a few seconds before she broke from him completely. They both found their clothes and struggled to put them on, not wanting to deal with the harsh glare from the fluorescent, until they exited into the bright hallway and headed back to the studio.

“God, you just know exactly what to do with your body, don’t you?” Kristoff said quietly when they took a seat to finish catching their breath.

She shrugged. “Well, when left unsatisfied for too many years, one gets creative in the ways of finding out what works the quickest.”

Kristoff laughed softly at the quick jab about her ex. “Well as far as quickies go, that was the best I’ve ever had.”

She smiled. “Me too.”

*****

“Kristoff! Show me how to throw a football!” Kody shouted as he came in from the back yard where he and Autumn had been playing.

Autumn sauntered in after him and Anna had to smile at her. _She is just such a little Lady!_ Kristoff had told her several times that although Autumn had interest in many things, including sports, she was a little girl through and through - all pink and dolls and dress up and sparkles.

“Sure Kody!” Kristoff smiled so brightly, that it hurt Anna’s heart to realize even Hans had never been so enthusiastic to play anything, especially sports, with Kody. “Want to come play too sweetie?” he asked his daughter.

“No thanks Daddy,” she said as she took a seat at the kitchen table and fiddled with her hands. Obviously, she would rather still be in her play-house outside, than play football.

Kristoff threw Anna an unsure look but she smiled at him. “Autumn and I will do something fun while you guys play.” There was no mistaking the gratitude and love in his eyes as he headed outside with Kody.

“What do you feel like doing, Autumn? You want to play in your room, or go back out to the play house?”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I don’t really feel like playing right now.”

“How about we make something? Want to do a craft? Or we can draw?”

Autumn broke out into a smile. “Can we make cookies? Mommy always said she would make them with me but we always ran out of time.”

Anna felt the stab at her heart, knowing that Laura probably never bothered to make the time to bake cookies with her daughter. Kristoff often speculated that Laura had distracted Autumn with things like taking her to the park or putting on a movie and giving her some candy so she could sit in relative quiet. Or at least that was what the chaperone had told him they did together most of the time when Autumn had stayed with her mother. “Of course we can make cookies! What kind do you want to make?”

Autumn’s eyes lit up. “Peanut Butter! Those are my favorite! Can we make those, please?”

“Of course we can sweetheart. Show me where your Daddy keeps the peanut butter.” She followed Autumn, hoping that Kristoff would at least have flour and sugar so that they could actually make cookies. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the pantry was completely stocked with all the essentials. She had to smile to herself when she realized that the level of detail and the organization of all the dried goods, had Gerda written all over it. _Bless that woman for taking care of these two._

They gathered all the things they needed and Autumn helped Anna read the recipe as she gleefully did her own measuring and dumped everything in the bowl. 

“Good job. Now turn the mixer on low, here, see, yes that’s right, perfect.”

Autumn watched the batter come together in the mixer while Anna glanced outside. Kristoff was kneeling beside Kody, helping him put his tiny fingers between the laces of the ball, and guiding his arm in a throwing gesture. He popped up to his feet and stepped a few feet away with his hands open. Kody launched the ball and it immediately twirled all over the place in the air. Kristoff lunged to the left and managed to catch it. She could hear his excited “Good job Kody!” through the glass of the patio door. When Anna turned back to Autumn, she realized she was smiling from ear to ear.

*****

“Take five little man. Here, have some water,” Kristoff handed Kody a bottle of water from the cooler on the deck. Kody took the bottle and sat on the steps to the lawn. Kristoff decided to sit there too, giving him some space by taking a spot on the other side.

He took a swig of his own water when he realized that Kody had scooted over to sit right beside him. “Can we play some more? It’s so fun. I love sports.”

“Yeah? I love sports too. We can play anything you like. Have you seen my shed out there?” Kristoff gestured with his chin to a corner in the yard where a small building sat. Kody shook his head. “Well that’s where I keep all the good stuff. Basketballs, baseball stuff, badminton rackets, tennis, volleyballs, you name it.”

“Really?”

Kristoff realized that it was the first time Kody had been to his place in the light of the day. “You know what’s beyond those hedges there?” He pointed off to the right of the yard.

“What?”

“A full court to play all those fun sports on.”

“Really? Like a basketball hoop and everything?”

“Uh huh, and I can string up a net in the middle too if you want to volley something. Unless you want to play baseball, then we have to walk over to the ball diamond in the park so we don’t break anyone’s window.”

“Cool! Can we go play basketball? I love basketball.”

“Sure,” Kristoff said, glancing behind him at Autumn and Anna in the kitchen. He couldn’t hear what they were saying with the patio door closed, but his heart swelled at the smile on both their faces. He turned back to Kody and glanced at his barely touched water. “But you have to hydrate first. Very important when you’re playing sports.”

“Okay,” he said and gulped water from his bottle. He wiped his mouth against the length of his arm and sat still for a moment. Kristoff could see he was in deep thought. He waited until Kody spoke. “Are you and my Mom going to get married?”

Kristoff gulped. He had not been expecting that. “I, um… I don’t know.” He rubbed his hand over his neck. “We haven’t really talked about it. Uh, maybe, someday. Or maybe not? We’ll have to wait and see.” 

Kody frowned. “Oh. I just wondered because Daddy and Brooke are getting married. I thought maybe you were going to marry my Mom too.”

Kristoff wasn’t sure how to respond properly. There was so many things he wanted to say, and even more things he thought he _should_ say, but he ended up asking Kody what he himself wanted to know. “Do you want me to marry your Mom someday?”

Kody nodded but he kept his focus on the row of hedges that hid the basketball court. “I guess.”

“You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“I don’t know. What about… I mean… what if you move away too… with another lady.”

Kristoff understood in an instant all the things that were going through Kody’s mind. He knew all too well how hard it was for a child to grasp such adult concepts. 

“Listen to me, Kody” he said, waiting until Kody met his eyes. “I love your mom. A lot. I know all this is very hard to understand, but there is one thing I know… I will _always_ love your Mom, and I would never, ever move on with someone else.”

“But my Dad did. And now you and my Mom… and what if one day you aren’t… you know, happy,” he frowned.

Kristoff felt bad for his failure to explain something that he and Anna hadn’t even outwardly talked about. He debated his words, deciding to admit the truth he knew in his heart. 

“Your Mom will always make he happy. Always. I will never be happy with anyone else, I promise you. Only her, okay?”

Kody smiled. “Okay.”

“So, do I have your permission to marry your Mom someday, if she wants to?”

Kody giggled. “Of course.”

“Thanks, little man. Now let’s think about getting some lunch made and then we’ll go play the afternoon away.” Kristoff held up his hand. 

“Awesome,” Kody said, and slapped his palm to Kristoff’s.

*****

“Are you and Kody going to move here?”

Anna paused with the ball of dough she was forming. “Um, I’m not sure.”

“Oh, okay,” Autumn plopped a dough ball on the tray and squished it down with a fork like Anna had shown her.

Anna wasn’t too sure where this was going. It was certainly the most direct Autumn had ever talked to her, so she decided to ask her own direct question. 

“Do you… want us to live here?”

Autumn smiled as she grabbed more dough from the bowl. “Uh huh. I love it when you and Kody are here.”

“We all have fun together, don’t we?” 

Autumn nodded enthusiastically. “I like playing with Kody. He makes me laugh.”

“That’s good. He likes playing with you too.”

“After this can we make something else?”

Anna understood the attention span of a five-and-a-half-year-old. “Sure, after we have lunch, we can make whatever you want.”

*****

Kristoff sat beside Anna on the deck as the sun was getting low in the sky. They watched Autumn and Kody play tag for a while before Kristoff broke the silence. 

“Anna, I know we haven’t known each other for all that long, you know, in the grand scheme of things, and I know we have to take things at the proper pace, but… where do you see this going?”

She kept her eyes focused on the kids as she spoke. “Where do I see _what_ going? That’s a pretty broad range of things.” 

“Well for starters, do you ever want to get married again?” he asked, thinking about what Kody had said to him.

She was quiet for a moment. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. I know when I signed those damn papers, I swore I would never put myself through that again… but,” she turned to look at him with a smile. “I suppose if the right man were to come along, then maybe I would.” She gave him a wink.

Kristoff chuckled lightly at her before she became serious again. 

“What about you? Do you want to get married?”

“I never, ever wanted to get married again either. Especially after the hell I went through. But then… well, I met you and that all changed.” Kristoff turned his gaze to his hands in his lap. “I definitely don’t want to run off and do anything stupid right away, but maybe I do see a ceremony for us in the future. The distant future.”

“But not too distant, right?”

He looked back at her again. “Right, of course. I just think we should entertain the thought of moving in together before we go off and get hitched.”

Anna laughed. “Yeah, that would be a good idea.”

“I think our kids like the idea of us being together.”

“It would seem so…” Anna mused, staring off in thought.

“Well when this competition is over, then we’ll have to sit down and have a talk about everything.”

Anna didn’t respond. She was still staring off into the distance and Kristoff’s mind started going in a million places at once from the look on her face. He wondered what she was thinking about in their future that made her look so… well, she just looked flat-out worried. Kristoff fiddled with the edge of his shirt at her silence that was becoming a little uncomfortable, wondering what to say, when she finally spoke.

“Do you ever want to have another kid?”

Kristoff felt his mouth drop open slightly. He was at a sudden loss for words. He had certainly wanted more kids, once upon a time, but when he got divorced, he thought that ship had sailed. He watched Anna’s face intently as she slowly turned and met his eyes. He could see her desire for a baby as clear as day. He instantly realized that he already knew his answer.

He smiled. “With you, yes.”


	17. Chapter 17

They were on live TV, so Anna hid her frustration behind a mask, but her mind was absolutely fuming. Why the even had to introduce Jazz a couple of seasons ago, she would never understand. The show got too big and there weren’t enough dances she supposed. While she could appreciate all forms of dance, Jazz was her least favorite, and it showed in the judges scores and comments that her content wasn’t strong enough.

She felt Kristoff squeeze her hand and he smiled down at her when they were scored four 9’s, and while it was a great score, it would most likely not be enough to get them into the final. Anna chided herself on not getting some help with the choreography. _I should have known I would never be able to come up with a great dance on my own._

They were ushered quickly backstage to change and get ready for the next dance. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll kill the next one.” Kristoff mumbled to her, making her feel instantly better. She was terrified that Kristoff would be disappointed in her, but his smile was genuine and she had to remind herself that he was the type of man who had a hard time masking his genuine emotions, so was clearly pleased with their scores.

They finally got their hair re-done and caught the last part of Amy’s dance. They didn’t talk, they simply held each others hand as the watched Amy dance a perfect contemporary. Kristoff would have been surprised if she didn’t end up with a perfect score, but of course she was given the four 10’s she deserved. 

They stayed relatively quiet until the moment finally came for their Argentine Tango, and they took their positions waiting for their cue to start. Anna felt her excitement build. Jason had graciously granted her request for a purely instrumental dance music, as opposed to a pop song. To Anna there was nothing more beautiful than an Argentine Tango danced to authentic music.

When the music started, they began their dance, and Anna knew right away that they would indeed ‘kill’ the dance. Anna found herself a little lost in Kristoff’s intense gaze as she suddenly realized that he very much wanted to win the competition, and not for him, but for her.

Kristoff was flicking his legs just as sharply as she was and she was so proud of him. He had put in so much work and tons of extra hours to achieve perfection, and he was the embodiment of it as he followed her choreography. Anna’s lines were razor sharp as she wrapped her leg around him as he lifted her from the ground, spinning her around and stopping in a dramatic way as his hand slid up her thigh. Anna knew from watching back the camera blocking that they looked great at this dance together, but she could only imagine how fantastically sensual it looked now in their black and red costumes.

Their size difference definitely gave them an advantage in this dance. Kristoff was easily able to lift her, and she felt like a feather as she floated all around him. She wanted to throw as many lifts into the routine as she dared without losing the proper content, just to show off the impressive display of his strength.

Her heart absolutely soared when they were finished. It was a flawless performance, and the entire ballroom was on their feet and cheering furiously. 

They were given a round of perfect scores, but all four of the semi-finalists had done so well, with Amy leading the charge with two perfect dances and a perfect score of 80 to show for it. At the end of the night Anna was sad that they were announced as ‘in jeopardy’, but she couldn’t say she was all that surprised. She had failed them in their Jazz routine, after all.

Tom was talking but Anna found she wasn’t really listening. She was staring up at Kristoff as he looked ahead with an unreadable expression. 

“The couple leaving the competition is….” Tom said and the music and lights changed for the suspense.

Anna had a feeling they were headed home. She had been on the show for 8 years, starting out on the troop and finally making it to pro for 7 wonderful seasons. She had been kicked out on the first couple of rounds, she had been runner up twice, but she had never taken the mirror ball home. She realized in that instant how badly she had wanted to win, and she thought that perhaps with Kristoff and his natural talent, they would. However, she also understood that even if they were eliminated or come in second or third, she would still be walking away with the biggest win of her life, knowing that Kristoff was hers.

“Eric and Emma.” Tom announced.

Kristoff looked down at Anna with surprise, obviously thinking too that they were headed home. He pulled her into a quick hug before they went down to the dance floor to give their well wishes to the reality TV hunk that fell just shy of the finals.

As soon as the cameras were off and the show was wrapping up, they found their kids in the audience. Anna had noticed a rather bothered expression on Elsa’s face, but she just assumed that it was because they were almost eliminated. It wasn’t until they had gone home and put Kody to bed that Elsa shared her feelings with her sister.

“Is it terrible that I was kind of hoping you guys would have been eliminated?”

“What? Why?” Anna was flabbergasted. Her sister had always supposed her and rooted for her. She was fully aware how much Anna wanted to take home a win. At least once.

“I’m sorry Anna, I do hope you win. I do… I just… well what I overheard in the audience tonight made me a little upset, and I just kind of want you to be done with this season because you’re in a relationship with your partner.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I overheard how someone was talking that you were completely faking a relationship just to win.”

“So? We already knew people thought that, and you know that we don’t give a shit.”

Elsa sighed. “I know but that wasn’t the only thing I heard. I just hate hearing negative talk about you… well, and him I guess. Some people were just saying some means things. But I guess that’s nothing compared to some of the filth I heard.” Elsa looked away and muttered. “People are sick.”

Anna waited, but Elsa didn’t say any more, so she was forced to ask. “You know I’m not going to leave you alone until you tell me, right?”

Elsa looked back at her with pleading eyes, but she relented quickly, knowing full well that when Anna was determined, she was a near unstoppable force. Elsa blushed and turned her eyes down to the floor. 

“Just the ladies next to me talking. One said she really wanted to…” She cleared her throat. “Have sex with Kristoff, to which her friend replied that she wished she could join the two of you having sex.”

Anna’s mouth fell open. That was certainly the last thing she thought that people would be thinking about them, but she supposed there were people out there with much more disturbing thoughts about them, so it didn’t really seem all that bad in the grand scheme of things. 

Anna laughed. “A Ménage à trois huh? Well, I guess some people get off on that kind of thing.”

Elsa laughed too, seemingly glad that Anna wasn’t all that bothered. “I can certainly tell you that it brought up a mental imagine in my mind that I did not at all enjoy.”

Anna laughed harder, getting Elsa to join in, and they giggled about it until they were sore in the stomach.

*****

“So, what do you have in mind for our freestyle dance?”

“You’re asking me?” Kristoff smiled. “I thought you were the dance pro.”

Anna giggled. “I meant what style do you want to do? Or do you want to combine styles?”

Kristoff looked off in thought. Anna knew that their redemption dance was going to be the quickstep, since it had been their lowest scoring dance of the season, but the freestyle could be literally anything, and she simply wanted to know what he thought they should do.

“I really like the contemporary, since I didn’t have to wear shoes.” He said.

“Oh, is _that_ the reason?” She grinned.

He grinned back. “Yup, the only reason.”

Anna shook her head and giggled. “Well I think doing another contemporary is a fantastic idea, and we should throw some other things in there to impress. But, we can’t tell the same story.”

“How about we tell a story set in an alternate universe, where I am a famous actor and you are a best-selling author, and we fall in love at first sight.”

“How come you get to be the actor?”

“Because I would make a horrible writer.” He flashed her a toothy smile.

Anna giggled again and thought for a moment. “What about a story from your childhood?”

She regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth, astounded that she actually uttered them. She had wondered for so long why he never, ever talked about anything besides his life from college on, and she knew full well how dark his eyes got every time something came up that reminded him of whatever he seemed to be tortured by. Anna felt sick that she had uttered her curiosity out loud.

His smile immediately fell at her words. “I haven’t even told you about it, Anna. What makes you think I want to tell the world?”

He looked for a moment like he was going to storm out, but he set his jaw in a firm line and looked away.

“I’m so sorry, Kristoff.” She muttered. The immediate silence between them spoke volumes at how unprepared he was for her to ask about it. He had never come right out and told her a reason why, but she had come to know it was imperative that they never, ever fight near Autumn and Kody.

“I thought I had it bad,” He said suddenly breaking the silence and startling her. He was still looking away, and he paused long enough that she thought he wasn’t going to say any more, but he finally continued. “My parents fought constantly, but my best friend had it worse. So much worse…”

“Kristoff, we don’t have to talk about it…” Anna’s voice was meek.

“I need you to know though Anna, before we get too far. I need you to know why I will not tolerate if you try and pick a fight with me in front of our kids.”

_He said OUR kids._ Anna frowned, knowing how much Kristoff cared about her and Kody, but hurt that he would say such a thing. “After all we talked about, I’m surprised you feel like you have to tell me that.”

He finally met her eyes. “I know you wouldn’t fight with me Anna, but I had to say it, okay? I just had to put it out there.”

She nodded. “Fair enough.”

He nodded in return and looked away again. “In eighth grade, by best friend Wesley took his own life because he couldn’t live with his parents constant fighting anymore. They screamed at each other all the time. He never slept because they often got into it in the middle of the night, and he absolutely dreaded going home each day.

“I wanted to ask my parents if he could come live with us. We were so close we were each other’s only friend, so it seemed like a great idea, but I knew there was no way my parents would ever let him stay. They always fought about money, so I knew they would absolutely refuse having another mouth to feed.

“We talked about running away, him and I. Every day we would come up with idea’s on how we could survive on our own. We even started mowing lawns and saved all the money we could so that when we were old enough to get a driver’s licence, we would buy a beater car and drive all the way down to Texas and find jobs and an apartment and start our new lives.

“Then one day, he wasn’t at school in the morning. I was pulled into the principal’s office about half way through first period and was told that he was gone.”

Anna was already crying silently, and she started to shake as Kristoff’s eyes filled with emotion. 

“He never said anything to be about it. I had no idea he was so desperate to escape. He never even left a note, so I will never fully understand his reasons for resorting to… that.”

“I’m so sorry, Kristoff…” Anna whispered, ignoring the tears coursing down her cheeks. 

He turned to her and grabbed her hands in his, eyes focused on their intertwined fingers. “That very same night my parents told me they were getting divorced. They never even said anything about Wesley. The principal told me they were going to call my parents to notify them, so they must have either ignored the calls, or simply didn’t care. To this day, I still have no idea which.” He pulled in a deep breath. “My Dad moved out the next day, and I started seeing less and less of him until he stopped showing up all together. My Mom always drank, but she turned heavily to alcohol to cope, and she was always way too drunk when I got home from school to deal with me.

“So, there I was, a fourteen-year-old kid with no friends and no parents to take care of me. It was an extremely hard time in my life, but I have to think that it shaped me into the man that I am today. Well… that and joining the football team in high school I suppose.”

Anna hugged him, pushing her head deep into his chest as she sniffed her nose. “I’m so sorry Kristoff. I can’t even begin to imagine how horrible that was.”

“Well, had I not been so lonely, I probably never would have joined the football team. I made some lifelong friends by doing so.”

Anna pulled back to look at him, surprised to see he had a soft smile on his face. 

“Football has brought a lot of wonderful things into my life. I met Laura through a team friend, which gave me my incredible daughter. I’ve won a Superbowl, something that a lot of pro athletes don’t achieve in their entire career. And, I was asked to do this show, which brought me to you. Essentially football has given me everything I have ever wanted in life, and I am eternally grateful.”

“That’s possibly the most wonderful sentiment I have ever heard.”

Kristoff slowly shook his head. “The most wonderful thing to me, is when you told me you loved me.”

“I do.” She smiled. “So very much.”

“Anna, I-“ He was interrupted by a knock at the door and the film crew filed in. Kristoff rolled his eyes to Anna and she smiled, because she understood how annoying it was to have to act proper for the cameras. _At least this is the last week of that_ , she thought.

*****

“I want to propose a toast.” Kristoff said, getting the attention of Anna, Elsa, Gerda and George. Autumn and Kody were talking quietly, not really paying attention, but Kristoff didn’t want to disturb them. 

“Anna, I want to thank you for this incredible experience. I have enjoyed everything so much more than I thought I would, and it has nothing to do with bringing us together. You are a superb dancer, an incredible teacher. You are patent and caring and an absolute joy to be around. I know for a fact that had I been partnered with someone else, that I would certainly not be heading to the final show tomorrow. So, here’s to you Anna. I hope I can bring you a win.”

Anna blushed deeply as Kristoff raised his glass, everyone falling suit with wide grins and a hearty “To Anna!” before they all took a sip of their wine. Anna smiled at him over the rim of her glass, telling him with her eyes that he was going to get lucky later that night.

Elsa, Anna and Gerda soon started talking about the show, leaving Kristoff and George to talk.

“Any news from Dr. Andersen?” Kristoff asked.

George shook his head. “Well, there’s apparently no change in her yet, but he said it looks promising, whatever that means. He will let us know as soon as there is something to know, he said.”

Kristoff sighed. “I hope he can do something to help her. I really do.”

“You’re a good man, Kristoff. You always have been. There are not a lot of men who would wish such things for an ex who did what she did.”

Kristoff shrugged. “She’ll always be the mother of my child, so she will always have a place in my heart.” He grinned at George with humor. “It’s pretty small, but it’s there.”

George chuckled. “Well at least things turned out pretty great for you.”

Kristoff glanced over at Anna just as she looked over at him. She gave him a smile and a wink before turning back to the conversation. “They did. They really, really did.” 

***

Elsa waited in the car while Anna said goodnight to Kristoff. She melted into his hug. 

“Whatever happens in the next two nights, I know I’ve already won in my heart,” she whispered into his ear.

“I feel the same, Anna,” he whispered back. “No matter what, we walk away from this with something better than any trophy.”

She pulled back from him and grinned. “Really? Even a Superbowl?”

He didn’t respond. He kissed her instead, and he knew from the way she kissed him back, that she understood his answer.


	18. Chapter 18

Anna held her breath as she waited to hear the results. She was on pins and needles with anticipation. Kristoff stood like a rock at her side with his arm slung around her waist. She knew he was nervous too. The music changed as the three pairs stood there, waiting. 

_The winner of this season’s dancing with the stars is…._ Anna’s heart was hammering. She had wanted this for so long. Kristoff beamed down at her with a smile that said they had this in the bag, and then it was announced.

_Amy and Maks!_

The world exploded in glitter and streamers as the winning pair was revealed.

Anna’s heart fell. She didn’t think she would be so devastated to lose. She looked up at Kristoff and the defeat in his eyes nearly killed her. 

“Anna… I’ve failed you,” he said. His voice was weird. Like a ghost of himself.

She wanted to speak but she found she was unable. How could she not talk? Why was her brain screaming to say something, but her mouth refused to work? The room seemed to change around them and she wondered if she was about to faint.

Kristoff’s mouth opened to speak, but instead of hearing his voice, she heard a series of beeps.

Loud, obnoxious… unrelenting…

_The hell?_

Anna startled awake. She looked around her familiar room, realizing it was a dream. She grumbled and slowly sat up, shaking off the feeling she was left from her stupid subconscious mind playing tricks with her while she slept. 

“Well fuck…” she muttered, and got up to get ready, hoping that her dream didn’t become a reality.

*****

Kristoff could not help but watch the introductory video. He found Anna’s hand with his own as soon as it started. It was a re-cap of his time on the show, starting with the clips from when he first met Anna, and his first interview for his first week of dance. Fast forward to an unused clip from a piece of the interview the previous week, and the difference Kristoff saw, even in himself, was immeasurable. 

He felt Anna squeeze his hand, knowing that she could see it too. Just over two months and Anna had made him a different man. A better man. He could see it in the way he sat; his posture was better, shoulders not slumped forward. He talked clearer, instead of mumbling. He smiled more. A lot more. He had to wonder yet again, what his experience on the show would have been like if he had been partnered with someone else, and he was desperately thankful that he wasn’t.

When the video package was over, they made their way up to the balcony to watch Amy preform first. In this last double-dance show, they had re-capped all the stars season’s first, playing all the video’s in succession, and then launched into the dances. They were dancing next, followed by Becky, the Olympic gymnast. Kristoff was kind of glad to be in the middle. He certainly didn’t want to be the first one out of the gate, and brining up the rear seemed to him to leave a lot of room for disappointment. He knew from Anna talking to the other pro’s, that _their_ free-style dances were high-energy, loud and included many of the troop to dance along side them. They were a spectacle, and spectacles usually garnered the most votes. But he and Anna had both decided to tell another story with a slower contemporary, and although they had put some flare to it, it was a calm-paced and quiet routine.

“Come on,” Anna said, tugging on his hand. “We’re up after the break.”

Kristoff realized he had zoned out in thought and had missed the end of the dance. He followed her down the stairs and the ballroom floor was a flurry of activity to set Kristoff and Anna up for their Quickstep after the commercial break. They took their positions on the sidelines, until they were told to go to the mark.

They waited until Tom was done talking and the lights changed and the music started. Kristoff knew that they would do the Quickstep the justice it deserved. They had practiced on it endlessly to make sure that it would be quick and sharp enough. Anna smiled at him the whole time, and he found his own effortless smile in return.

The only negative comment they received from the judges was from Len, who said that it seemed a little too quick and sporadic for his liking, so his 9 was not all that surprising based on his comments. But the other judges disagreed with their 10’s.

There was little to no break between the next set of dances, so they ran backstage and changed quickly. Anna had to have her up-do removed, so that her copper locks flowed in beautiful waves down her back. Kristoff carefully untangled his own hair from the slick coif they had done on him, to something that resembled his natural look.

Before they knew it, they were ready and waiting to dance their freestyle. He hadn’t seen Amy’s performance, but he had watched it in dress rehearsal, and the ruckus cheers of the crowd told him that she nailed it. He tried not to feel nervous, but he couldn’t help but worry that by Anna allowing some of his collaboration in the choreography, might doom them.

They story they had decided to tell, was not one from either of their pasts, but rather one of their possible future. Kristoff had fallen in love with the idea when Anna suggested it, and it was the perfect way to end their season on what they thought was a high note. 

The instrumental piece that they were dancing to started, and Kristoff found the focus of Anna’s eyes right away. It started with a flowing re-enactment of the first time they met in the studio, and they started to danced in tandem, but apart at first, their movements slowly morphing together until they were dancing with barely an inch between them to show how close they had grown. They broke apart with a quick flourish by themselves, before they met again and held their hands together, as if standing at an alter. They both took a second to take a quick turn at nodding to each other, and then they gave a kiss like any couple would do when announced as husband and wife. They slowly changed their positions to Anna standing off to the side of the dance floor, as Kristoff glided up behind her, running his hands gently over her stomach as if it was swollen with child, kissing her neck and smiling as Anna placed her hands on-top of his. They immediately changed their pace, throwing in a mixture of some of the quicker dance styles as they flailed around on stage acting out something similar to running after children, before they both collapsed into a sitting position facing each other and laughing silently. The music pace changed and they got up and they started with their lifts. There were several of them, all in rapid succession, starting with the most impressive displays, and ending with softer and gentler ones, to signify the passing of time and the toll of age. They slowed their movements appropriately, but maintained the constant flow they needed to keep it seamless. After the last lift, they took a seat side by side on the bottom step of the stage, looking out on the dancefloor as the brief audio sound of children laughing played in tandem with the music. Kristoff put his arm around Anna’s shoulders as she leaned into him. He kissed her head quickly before they got up and walked slowly to the middle of the dance floor where they embraced in a hug and sank slowly to the floor. They kissed each other once more, quick but soft, before they intertwined the fingers of their ring-finger hands, and laid down side by side, closing their eyes as the music finished.

There was the briefest pause of silence, and a split second of panic as they squeezed each other’s hands, thinking that they fucked it up. But then the audience erupted and stood in a standing ovation. 

Kristoff got up first and helped Anna to her feet. They walked slowly over to where Tom was standing, and the smiling face of him and all the judges, made him feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. They had both admitted they were scared to tell their story, seeing as how it had not yet been written, but in that moment, they both knew that it was not a mistake. 

“That was beautiful,” Tom said with awe in his tone, before he turned to the judges for their comments.

Carrie-Ann was misty eyed, Juliane was touched, Bruno was excited and Len was very impressed. One last round of perfect scores that would hopefully aid them in their fate.

*****

Anna yawned as she pulled up to the studio. It was still dark and she decided to wait until Kristoff parked beside her before going in. She loved making up fusion routines, but she lamented the fact that they were given less than 24 hours to come up with a full dance. The dance time they had to fill was shorter, but it was still hard to come up with choreography and learn it in essentially half a day.

She smiled when Kristoff’s Jeep parked and he slid from the seat. She got out of her car and walked to him, folding herself into his open arms. 

“This is going to be a long day,” he muttered into her hair.

“I know,” she said, pressing her cheek further into his chest. “It just seems like adding insult to injury, making everyone dance one more time before they announce the results.” The final show and the results hadn’t always been split over two nights, but the ratings seemed to suggest that it was a working formula, because her entire time as a pro on the show, it hadn’t changed.

They found their way inside and looked at the dance sheet. “Foxtrot and Paso. That should be interesting,” Anna muttered.

“Is it going to be a tough one?” 

She looked up at him. “Nah, we just have to decide if we want to fuse the styles, or flow between them.”

“Whatever you figure,” Kristoff said through a yawn.

“At least they won’t be filming any of this,” she gave him a sly smile.

His eyes were glassy from yawning, but she saw his instant intrigue. “Oh really?” He walked up and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Well I guess we can just be ourselves then, can’t we?”

Anna knew they only had a short time to come up with the dance. She knew that they would soon have to go to camera blocking and get dressed for the rehearsal. She knew, that a Foxtrot/Paso fusion would be a little more difficult to come up with than she was willing to admit, but she pushed her mouth to his anyway, melting as his tongue slid past her lips.

*****

The whole results show was a whirlwind. There was plenty of rigmarole, and performances from all the stars who had been eliminated, and several musical guests singing as pros danced all around them. Kristoff kept glancing to their families sitting in the audience. Gerda and George were sitting next to Autumn, who was accompanied by Kody and Elsa on her other side, with Hans and Laura sitting behind them. He knew Anna was relieved that they had agreed to bring Kody to the show, seeing as how his two-week turn with his father had just begun, and to his surprise they both looked happy to be there. He supposed the way they all seemed to get along despite what had happened would always been strange to him, given his own circumstance.

They preformed their fusion dance perfectly, to what difference it made, Kristoff had no idea. But he was glad that their last dance of the show had gone off without a hitch.

The moment finally came. The very end. The grand reveal, when they all lined up on stage to find out who won. Kristoff stood behind Anna and wrapped his arms protectively around her shoulders. He hoped that he had done his best to bring Anna the win.

“The couple coming in third place, is…” 

Kristoff held his breath at the painfully long suspense. _It’s ridiculous how long they wait to say the names…_

“Becky and Val” Tom announced.

Kristoff let out his breath as Anna turned around in his arms and hugged him. They had to wait on the stage while the young gymnast talked to Tom about her joyful experience on the show. Kristoff glanced over at Amy a second before she looked over at him. 

“Good luck” he mouthed to her. She smiled and mouthed back a “you too” before Tom was talking again, readying to announce the winner.

Anna had told him about her dream. He feared just as she did, that it would become a reality, and seeing as how it was Amy and Maks who stood up there with him, it made him all the more nervous. He realized that he probably had no chance against her. She had done so well all season and she was very popular with the younger voters. Kristoff wondered just how many factors contributed to him standing there. Was it because him and Anna had started a relationship? Was it because the viewers fancied him, or more likely, were nuts about Anna? Was it based on his dance merit alone, that even he surprised himself with? He figured it was probably a combination of all of those things. Certainly there had been greater upsets on this show in the past than some Linebacker taking the trophy home.

The lights went red and scary again and Kristoff realized this was it; they were about to find out. He hugged Anna tight to his body. Her hands came up and curled around his forearms. Kristoff dipped his face into her neck for a quick kiss. 

“I love you Anna,” he muttered into her ear before he straightened again. 

She turned her face to the side and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “I love you too, Kristoff.”

They waited. It seemed the suspense stretched forever as he listened for the names. _This is just ludicrous!_ _Why the hell do they have to stretch it out this long. This is simply-_

“Kristoff and Anna!”

He felt his immediate shock as Anna whipped around to face him, throwing herself up into his arms, almost making him stagger back on his feet. She hugged him, impossibly tight, as she screamed with joy into his ear. 

“We did it, Kristoff! We did it!”

He wanted to tell her it wasn’t _them_ , it was _her_ who did it. It was _her_ who taught him the dynamic of ballroom dancing. It was _her_ that came up with all their spectacular routines. It was _her_ who created the beautiful piece of art that was their contemporary freestyle. Everyone knew going in, that the freestyle dance could mean the difference between winning and losing the mirror ball, and he was thankful that Anna’s creative mind had given birth to something that must have resonated with people.

It all happened too quick. Suddenly they were covered in long streamers as hands clapped on their shoulders and backs in congratulations as they made their way down to Tom. He was talking but Kristoff could barely hear him over the roar of noise. Suddenly the ugly mirror ball on a stick was handed to him. He looked at it stupidly a moment, before he gave it to Anna. As soon as she had a firm grip on it, he lifted her into the air, perching her on his shoulder. He was delighted by her triumphant smile as she raised the stupid thing above her head and shouted with joy. He let her slowly back down and she planted her smiling lips to his.

And then Tom and Erin were saying goodnight and the cameras went dark.

Just like that. It was over.

*****

Kristoff watched them all. 

Autumn and Kody, despite how tired they must be, were completely animated with excitement. They were laughing as they colored and did the activities on the paper placemats. Elsa was polite to Hans whenever they were talking, but he did not miss the icy daggers her eyes bore into the back of his head when he turned away. Laura talked almost exclusively with Hans and the way she was sitting suggested she felt a little bit like an outsider. Anna talked excitedly with everyone, and George always seemed to light up when he got a chance to ramble along with her. Gerda talked but kept a constant eye on Autumn and Kody, having never had kids of her own, Kristoff knew that she was enjoying every moment of relishing in their joy. The mirror ball sat in the middle of the table; the worlds ugliest centrepiece.

After the din of the ballroom had died down and they had found each other in the audience, they agreed to go out for a late celebratory dinner. It made Kristoff very happy to see all their smiling faces. In fact, it seemed like none of them had actually stopped smiling.

He looked at them all again, one by one as they all sat around him, and came to a very abrupt realization.

Kristoff found himself standing. He didn’t speak, but rather waited until everyone noticed, and quieted to focus on him. He picked up his glass and held it against his chest. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like he was the head of the table, and not just because of where his seat happened to be. 

“This dynamic is strange to me, but the more I spend with everyone, the more I realize how important it is that we make sure we all get together and enjoy some of this previous little time we have together. No matter what happened in the past, we have our entire futures to enjoy, so I want to propose a toast, to all of us.” He raised his glass. “To _family_.”

“To family” everyone cheered and drank from their glasses. Anna’s eyes began to shimmer, and Kristoff knew the emotions that were running through her. They were running through him too.

*****

Anna looked at the mirror ball trophy where she had placed it on her mantle. _He’s right. It really is ugly._ She laughed to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Elsa asked, walking into the living room with two glasses of wine. It was late, Anna was full from their celebratory dinner, and she was exhausted, but she knew Elsa wanted to talk.

“Oh nothing. I’m just… so happy.”

“It shows,” Elsa smiled as she sat on the sofa. “You know, I thought you would have been staying at his place tonight.”

Anna sat across her sister with a sigh of satisfaction and complete relief to be off her feet. “I’m headed over tomorrow until Kody comes back from his Dad’s. We both knew we’d be too tired to get up to much mischief tonight anyway,” Anna winked.

Elsa smiled and shook her head. “Well I’m glad it’s just us tonight. I’m going to have to find a closer place when you move in with him.” She sipped her wine. “When are you doing that anyway?”

“A month or two. I want to make sure Kody has a little more time to get used to spending more time over there before we move in completely. He’s had so many quick changes in his life lately, I just don’t want to put too much on him.”

“You are a good mother Anna. The best.”

Anna felt her cheeks flush. “Speaking over motherhood, I went off the pill.”

Elsa choked on her wine and coughed a few times. “You’re going to have another baby?” she asked, eyes wide and smiling from ear to ear.

Anna bit her lip with her smile and nodded. “I’m going to make sure I have a few normal cycles first, but then yeah, in a couple of months, I am going to have a whole lot of fun trying.”

Elsa placed her wine on the side table and stood to fold her sister into a hug. “I wish nothing but the best for you, Anna.” She pulled back and held her at arms length. “You have to let me know as soon as you are preggers!”

Anna laughed. “I will.”


	19. Chapter 19

**One month after the Mirror Ball (June)**

“I’m glad you’ve decided to move back here, George,” Kristoff said, leaning against the side of George’s dented pick-up truck with his arms folded over his chest. “It’ll be nice having you around, when you’re not on the road of course.”

“I’m happy too, and thanks for letting me stay in your house until we find out more about Laura.”

“Think nothing of it. I’m just glad that she’s actually showing some improvement.”

“Me too.” George said as he took a drag on a cigarette. “That Dr. Andersen is a miracle worker. I was actually surprised when he said he hoped she would be relatively healed within the year. I had kind of started to think that she would never get out of that place.”

Kristoff had to admit he had too, until the Doctor had called them a week ago to tell them that things were looking up.

“So…. you’re giving up football, huh?” George said, making small talk before he drove back to Vegas to pack up his apartment to move.

“Yup. Never been happier to be a free-agent.” Kristoff laughed. “Just time to hang up the proverbial gloves, you know?”

“Yeah, I never could understand how you put your body through all that. I remember that one time you got laid out on the field in Tennessee. God, I was scared you snapped your neck or something.”

Kristoff nodded. “That was the worst I ever got hurt, for sure.”

“What will you do now, you know, for work and stuff?”

He knew that George meant money. He often asked Kristoff if he should be paying some rent to stay in the house he had purchased for Laura, but it was already bought and paid for, so there was no reason to collect any of what little George actually made from trucking. Playing for the utilities was more than enough in Kristoff’s mind.

“I got into investments pretty early in my career with a really good guy, so that’s working pretty well for me. But I do have plans to finish my Bachelor degree in education, then maybe I can get a job as a gym teacher or something.” He didn’t need to tell George that he had enough money to live comfortably for a very long time without working, but he also knew that teaching was something that he did want to pursue in the future.

“Finish? I didn’t know that’s what you were taking in college.”

Kristoff laughed. “Yup. I knew I’d have to fall back on something when football was over and that was the first thing that came to mind. It’s something I know I would enjoy, that’s for sure.”

“You always were one to think ahead. I’ve always admired that about you.”

Kristoff smiled and clapped George on the shoulder. “Safe trip, and let me know when you’re rolling in so I can get you all settled.”

George nodded his thanks before he got into his truck. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you are a good man, Kristoff.”

“Likewise, George,” Kristoff said before they gave each other a wave and his pick-up drove down the street and out of sight.

*****

“I’m so glad we could get out for dinner,” Anna said as she shoved a stuffed mushroom cap in her mouth. “Teese are the besht.” 

Kristoff smiled and grabbed one with his fork. “They are good, aren’t they?” 

Gerda was the one who suggested that Kristoff take Anna out for a meal. _You guys need a date night_ , she had told him after she offered to stay late and see Autumn and Kody off to bed. With Anna’s parents both being gone, it was sometimes hard to rustle up someone they trusted to look after the kids.

He watched Anna savor the appetizer they ordered with her eyes rolling back into her head. They were very good, he had to admit, but not as good as watching her enjoy them.

They talked about Kristoff’s plan to finish his degree and Anna told him she was going to keep going with _Dancing with the Stars_ until they either wouldn’t have her, or something else came along. They talked idly of other things, mostly about where they thought life was going to take them when Kristoff was startled by Anna grabbing his arm that lay across the table. 

“Oh my God, Kristoff, look!” she said in an excited whisper and pointed with her chin to a table just behind him.

He turned around slowly and saw a young man on his knee, holding out a ring box for his date who sat across from him with her hands clamped onto her mouth. She nodded with tears in her eyes and they hugged.

Anna was clapping before anyone else, then the whole restaurant who had witnessed the proposal chimed in and there were cheers for the happy, newly-engaged, beautiful couple. _God, they look so young!_ Kristoff smiled to himself and turned back to Anna, suddenly taken aback by the shimmer in her eyes. 

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

Anna shook her head, embarrassed, turning her gaze to the ceiling and blinking furiously while fanning her hands against her face. “Sorry, I’m a mush-ball when it comes to proposals.”

Kristoff’s heart melted. _How did I end up with such an amazing woman?_ He held out his hand to her and she grabbed his with a tender smile.

**Two months after the Mirror Ball (July)**

Kristoff looked up at his familiar two-story home that he had purchased when he was picked up by Seattle. He had simply fallen in love with it when the realtor had taken him through. With four extra bedrooms just down the hall from the large Master, he had dreamed of filling them all with kids. It was a big house, but still modest. A far cry from some of the mansions that some of his teammates had dove in and purchased.

He remembered how excited he and Laura had been to pick out stuff for the nursery when they found out they were going to have a daughter. It had started out so wonderful, fawning over colors and furniture. Then it was just Kristoff who found himself spending countless hours in that room, making it perfect while Laura slept or watched television. When it was done, he looked on it with pride. It was pink and delicate with white wainscoting, a deep mahogany crib with matching dresser and change table. He had carefully hung lavender drapes over the window and had arranged the nursing chair and ottoman in the corner facing the door. He had picked out the softest blankets and spent hours stocking up on sheets, burp clothes, and clothes - which he had hug on small hangers and arranged from onesies to sleepers to rompers, in the closet. He placed a soft white teddy bear he thought his daughter would enjoy when she was older on the dresser beside the delicate crystal lamp to provide soft lighting when tending to their daughter in the middle of the night. He made sure they had plenty of diapers, wipes, baby power, creams and lotions, and when he had shown Laura the finished room, her exclaiming what a good job _they_ had done.

Kristoff remembered placing Autumn in her crib for the first night when they had finally moved her from the bassinette in their room. 

“This is going to be your room sweetheart” he had cooed to her as he gently removed his hands from her tiny form, hoping that she would stay asleep. He had looked around the room that night with a new appreciation for it, now that it’s intended occupant was taking residence. He didn’t know it then, how much time he would be spending in that room in the first year of Autumns life. He spent countless hours giving her bottles of formula at all times of the night, because Laura had given up nursing after the first month. He had walked, and rocked, and softly sang his daughter to sleep when she was fussy. He had spent entire nights when she was sick, because he worried over her, sitting in the chair in the room, ready for when she woke from her restless sleep. Every time he was away, he still found himself thinking about being with her in her room, before he fell asleep in a strange hotel bed.

The crib and change table had long since disappeared to make way for a double bed adorned in Disney Princess sheets and pillows that Autumn had picked out herself. Kristoff knew that over the years to come the room would keep changing. He wondered how long it would be before she started to take down the Princess posters on the wall and replace them with music groups and pictures of boys she thought were cute. How long before she would want to change the colors of her walls and get some drapes that weren’t so _childish._ How long before she wanted to get a cell phone and would spend way too much time texting her friends with it. How long before she wanted to go on a date. He wondered just how long he had before she became her own independent woman.

“You alright there, big guy?”

He turned around to face Anna, pushing the painful past and his worries about the future from his mind. 

“Fine,” he smiled.

She gave him a curious look. “If that box is too heavy, I can take it for you.”

He laughed and shook his head at her, so she winked and went inside.

He took the box in the house and carried it up the stairs to the room he had painstakingly made a haven for Kody. He painted the walls green - his favorite color - and had decorated them with pictures of his favorite comic book characters and a few of favorite teams for his newly acquired taste for sports. The utter squeal of delight when Kody saw it, and the tears filling Anna’s eyes, had given Kristoff a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

“Last one little man,” Kristoff said, putting the box on the floor. “You are official moved into your new room!”

“Thanks Kristoff!” Kody shouted as him and Autumn were jumping on the bed.

“What do you guys say to Pizza tonight?”

“Yay, Pizza!” Autumn and Kody shouted in unison while they jumped off the bed and tore off down the hallway to go play somewhere.

Kristoff walked downstairs where Anna was unpacking a box of her kitchen stuff on the table. He stood behind her, sliding his hands around her waist and using his chin to move her braid so he could place a kiss on her neck. 

“So, you happy to finally be here?”

She turned in his embrace and draped her arms over his shoulders. “So happy. I feel like I’m finally home.”

“Me too.” Kristoff said before he kissed her. 

_Me too._

****

“Guess what?” Kristoff said as he walked into the kitchen.

Anna looked up from the meal she was cooking on the stove. “What?”

“It sold already.”

“No way,” Anna said.

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. I just got off the phone with the realtor. Full price offer came in, so I took it.” Kristoff took a seat at the table to watch Anna’s back side as she stirred whatever was in the skillet.

“Huh. Well that’s good. You going to miss that place?”

“Not the apartment, no, but I will miss Seattle. We’ll have to go back there from time to time… see some friends.”

“Absolutely.”

Kristoff thought for a moment as he took in Anna’s curvy backside. “Maybe if Elsa is free next weekend, you and I could hop on a flight and spend the weekend?”

“Ooh, in a fancy hotel.”

“Uh huh. With room service.”

“And a spa!”

“And a big comfy bed.”

“I know what you’re hinting at Mr. Bjorgman,” Anna wiggled her ass for him. 

Kristoff laughed. “Well no matter what we do, I know we’ll have a good time.”

“Oh, you bet we will.” She turned around and winked at him. “I’ll check with Elsa right after dinner.”

**Three months after the Mirror Ball (August)**

“I want you now…” Anna moaned in his ear. 

He broke his lips from her neck. “Just let me grab one.” He moved to open his nightstand drawer when her hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“I’ve had three cycles now and they’re all normal. If…” She bit her lip with a shy smile. “If you’re ready, we can try.”

“Yeah?” Kristoff could not help but grin. He had been waiting for her to say that since she had told him that she went off the pill. He had agreed with her that it was a good idea to let her body reset before they tried, and now that the moment had come, he found himself giddy at the prospect of getting her pregnant.

“We’ll have to be pretty diligent in our work though. I’ll have you know I am going to be all over you every chance I get.”

Kristoff gave her a grin and placed a hand mockingly over his heart. _“How will I endure?”_

Anna smirked at him, then the smile soon fell away to a look of complete desire. She kissed him, but she was different. He kissed her back, and her gasp told him that he was different too. The hands on each other’s bodies were different. When he finally slid within her, it was different. Their movements together were different and for the first time since they had been together, they found their release at the exact same time. 

It was different because they both wanted a baby. Kristoff was approaching 35 in the new year, and Anna would be 33 in the fall. They knew there was a time limit. Of course there were many successes for people older than them, but the difficulty and the possibility of problems only increased with time. They had agreed they wanted at least one baby born of their loins. Any after that would have to be decided, if and when the time came.

He pulled from her and lay beside her, taking long satisfied breath’s. She snuggled up to him, something which she had never done before. She was always quick to disappear to the bathroom if they didn’t use a condom, but now she just nestled her face against his chest. He knew why and it made him emotional. He desperately hoped that they could conceive a child, and in his mind, the sooner the better.

**Four months after the Mirror Ball (September)**

“How are you feeling Anna?”

She got up from the sofa with a smile. “Much better. My cramps aren’t as bad since I took some painkillers.” She sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to make sure that we try and mark the middle of my cycle so we know when the best days to try are. And I’m going to go buy one of those stupid ovulation test thingies to try.”

He handed her the plastic bag with chocolate and tampons in it. She met his eyes when she took it from him. 

“I still can’t believe you went out and got these for me. Most men wouldn’t be caught dead buying tampons.”

Kristoff frowned. “Well they aren’t real men.”

Anna chuckled. “You got that right.”

*****

_It’s a boy! Kody has a brother!_

The text came to Anna’s phone just as they had gone to their room for the night. She sat on the edge of the bed, instantly struck in the heart. She was happy for Hans and Brooke, but at the same time she was jealous. 

“What’s wrong?” Kristoff asked, sudden worry in his tone when he walked from the bathroom to see Anna looking at her phone.

“The baby arrived. It’s a boy.” Her phone dinged again in her hand. “9 pounds 2 ounces. Joshua Andrew Westergaard.” She turned the screen to Kristoff to see the picture that was attached.

“My, he is a big boy isn’t he?”

Anna had to smile despite feeling a little dejected at how impatient she had become to be the one sending out the baby photos. 

“He is indeed. Kody was 7 pound 3 ounces.”

“Autumn was 7-11.”

Anna chuckled. “Well, when I get pregnant, we’ll hope for a baby in that same range. I can’t imagine pushing out a 9 pounder.”

Kristoff just smiled and shook his head. “I can’t imagine any of what you women go though during labour. I just… well there’s a reason men can’t get pregnant, right? I guarantee we wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” Anna laughed, and Kristoff joined her.

*****

“You are not going to believe this.” Anna tossed her bag on the kitchen table as she walked though to the living room where Kristoff was sitting.

He looked up from his book with curious eyes.

“They paired me with Bobby Standen,” she said as she plopped down on the couch across from Kristoff. 

“The comedian from that 90s sitcom?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of glad though. I was really enjoying the summer off and I have a feeling we’ll get kicked off pretty quick, so less work for me.”

“What, you win one mirror ball and then give up?”

She laughed at his sly smile. “Honestly I was just having way too much fun staying home all the time. You know, I might give some serious thought to giving up the show and going into teaching youngsters… kind of like you.” She smiled. “You inspired me the other night when you were talking about it.”

“Yeah? I think that’s a great idea, Anna. You are an excellent teacher.”

“I’d have to get my own studio of course, which wouldn’t be cheap, but, maybe in time, right?” She had her eyes turned thoughtfully away from him.

“Anna, we can make that happen.”

“I don’t have quite enough in my account yet to dive into an investment like that,” she said, slowly meeting his eyes.

Kristoff watched her for a moment. He knew she was absolutely not thinking what he was thinking, so he informed her what was on his mind. 

“Anna, I have more than enough to get you a studio if that’s what you want to do.”

Her smile faded as she realized her words. Kristoff knew that she was definitely not trying to make a hint. “Oh, Kristoff, I didn’t mean-“

He put up his hands to cut her off. “I know we’ve never talked about it, but Anna, you are my partner. What’s mine is yours, and visa versa, right?”

“Yeah I guess, but I know we never talked about money…” She trailed off, biting her lip at not knowing how to say what she was thinking.

Kristoff knew all the same, he got up and sat beside her, waiting until she was looking him in the eyes before he spoke. “I mean it. I know you are as serious about our future as I am. Whatever money we make is _ours_ … unless you are uncomfortable with that?”

“No, I’m not, I just…” She sighed. “It took Hans and I three years before we opened a joint account and we only did it because we bought an apartment together. I’m just not used to the whole sharing money concept I guess.”

“Well I am, and I mean it. What’s mine is yours Anna. Anything we do from now on will be _our_ decision, with _our_ money, okay?”

Anna nodded with a smile. “Ours.”

“Ours.” Kristoff reaffirmed.

**Five months after the Mirror Ball (October)**

“Happy Birthday.” Kristoff said softly as he woke her with a kiss on her lips.

“Hmmmmm thanks,” she smiled but kept her eyes closed. “Time is it?”

“Just after five.”

“It’s early. Can I sleep some more?” She rolled to her side and snuggled into the pillow.

“Of course. Gerda is downstairs and she’ll deal with the kids when they wake up. I am just going to run out for a bit this morning okay?”

“Mmm Kay,” she muttered, and immediately began to snore softly. 

*****

“Happy Birthday, Mommy!” Kody shouted as he burst into the room and jumped on the bed. 

“Happy Birthday.” Autumn said with measured excitement as she was concentrating on carrying a tray of breakfast into the room.

“Thanks guys!” Anna sat up in bed and smiled at them. She helped Autumn put the tray on the edge of the bed as they scrambled into Kristoff’s empty spot. There was a glass of milk and orange juice, a stack of blueberry pancakes - that she was sure Gerda had helped the kids make - a bowl of fruit and a tub of Greek yogurt. 

“How did you guys know this was my favorite?” She teased them.

She shared her breakfast with them as they all sat in the King size bed and chatted the morning away. Anna was overjoyed as she looked into their smiling faces, but she was a little hurt in the heart that Kristoff wasn’t there. _Where did he go anyway?_

_  
_ _He didn’t say… I wonder when he’ll be back?_

She ushered the kids out of the room when they were done eating and changed into Jeans and a sweater. The day was going to be gorgeous and warm and Anna wanting nothing more than to spend it in the backyard relaxing in the sun. She was glad that her and Bobby Standen got kicked off the fall season of Dancing with the Stars after only three dances, so she had a ton of more free time to enjoy just being around Kristoff and the kids. She was still part of some of the other numbers the show did, but it was nice to only have to go in a couple days a week when she was needed.

“Good Morning, Gerda,” she said as she walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Anna. Happy Birthday.” She got up from her needlepoint and handed Anna a cup of coffee.

“Thanks, and thanks!” She paused just before going outside to watch Kody and Autumn play and turned back to where Gerda had resumed her stitching. “Do you know where Kristoff is, by any chance?”

“No, sorry I don’t. He just said he’d be back in a few hours.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She enjoyed her coffee in the sun and found a book to read while Autumn and Kody went from play house to swing set and back again. She got a few pages into the story before her mind started to wander. She wondered again if they were going to find some success soon at getting her pregnant. She remembered, sitting in the very spot she now occupied when she had asked Kristoff if he wanted another kid, terrified that he would say no and she would have to take a serious look at her future. She hadn’t realized until things started to seem to move forward for them, how much she desperately wanted to have another baby. She was only too-happy that Kristoff wanted one too.

She sighed deeply thinking about him. It had just over a half year since they had met and now their lives were intertwined in an inseparable way. She had no idea it was possible to fall in love with someone every day, but Kristoff had shown her otherwise. She liked to watch him when he wasn’t looking, letting her eyes wander over the plane of his back, or being mesmerized how his hair moved in a breeze, or simply looking at him sitting on the couch beside her and laughing at something funny on TV. It seemed the simplest things in the world that she found made her heart truly happy.

She frowned to herself that he was still gone and was just about to break down and call him when he opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck. 

“Can I steal you for a sec?” he asked as he flicked his head to the house behind him. 

His demeanor was off. He looked… scared, or nervous? Sad? Anna instantly felt uneasy. She got up without a word and followed him inside. Her heart started to beat a little quicker as he walked right through the kitchen and up the stairs without a backwards glance. 

He stood in the hallway and let her enter their room first, then he shut the door behind him. He stood there for with his back to her and his head handing low. 

“Anna, I didn’t know what to get you for your birthday. I’ve always been horrible with gifts.” He finally turned around. “I’m sorry I was out all morning, but it was the only time he could get me in. He moved to San Diego so he made a special trip up here just for me and this was the only day he could make it… and I really wanted him to do the work because he did first part….”

Anna raised her hands and shook her head. “I don’t understand Kristoff…” she said gently.

“My gift to you,” he said, and pulling his t-shirt over his head and turning around. There under a sheet of clear plastic taped to his skin was the modification to the date of Autumn’s birth inked on his shoulder. A beautiful pair of turtle doves with their heads together now resided above it and below a new set of numbers that Anna recognized right away as Kody’s birth date. 

“We can add the next date below it… you know, when we have a baby,” he said softly.

Anna put her hands over her mouth. The amount of emotion from this simple gesture brought her to tears. He slowly turned around and looked at her, wondering with his eyes if she liked his gift. 

“Oh Kristoff… this is the best gift… this is…I can’t…” She shook her head, letting the tears fall freely. There were no words to describe how she felt. Kristoff had marked his skin for her. For her son. For _their_ family. “It’s wonderful. I love you, so much, Kristoff,” she sobbed.

He pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest with his hand. “I love you Anna, more than you will ever understand.”

She didn’t respond. She simply pushed herself further into his chest and prayed again that they would find success at getting pregnant, because more than ever, she wanted to have Kristoff’s baby.

*****

Brooke and Hans sit on the couch across from Anna, Autumn and Kody. Kristoff handed Hans a glass of ice water and he set Brooke’s on the table beside her since she was cradling her newborn in her arms. He took his place beside Anna, draping his arm over her shoulders. He had enjoyed having Kody around for a few months straight since Brooke and Hans were too tired to take on the energy of a 5-year-old. He secretly hoped that Kody could always stay, but he knew they would eventually get more sleep again and want to have Kody back every two weeks.

He watched everyone while they talked. Anna was being extremely delightful, but he could see the jealousy in her eyes. He looked over at the sleeping infant again. There was no denying he was cute, but Kristoff knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his and Anna’s baby would be cuter. 

_All people think their kids are the cutest.  
Nope, I know for a fact, ours _will _be the cutest._


	20. Chapter 20

**Six months after the Mirror Ball (November)**

Kristoff rubbed slow circles against the sunflower as his head rested on her belly. “How long again, before we can find out?”

Anna laughed softly, twisting her fingers into his hair. “Couple more days.”

It had been _months_ since they had been trying. They used all the possible methods to track when Anna was the most fertile and had been overly diligent to make sure that they were giving themselves the best odds, but they had come up empty so far. Kristoff knew that these things sometimes took a bit of time and that there were people who struggled far more, but he was starting to worry that there was something wrong with him.

***

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Anna.” Kristoff hugged her close. Her period had started before she was even able to take a pregnancy test.

She looked utterly dejected and Kristoff’s heart was breaking. He had no idea what to say, so he simply folder her into his arms. She hugged him back, but she quickly pushed away and took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Well, we can try again in about two weeks,” she said with a wan smile.

“Anna, if you want to take a break from all the trying I completely understand.” He sat beside her and took her hand between his. “Maybe we are putting too much pressure on ourselves. We can just stop working at it so hard and just see what happens.”

She shook her head. “Kristoff, I want this. So bad. I’m not ready to give up trying just yet.”

“That’s not what I meant-“

“I know what you meant,” she smiled. “But I still want to give us the best possible chances, okay?”

“Okay.”

Her grin turned curious. “You’re not getting tired of me, are you?”

His eyes went wide. “Oh God no! Anna, I have… enjoyed this, so much. I will ever, ever get tired of you.”

“Better not,” se winked.

“Never,” he assured her, and leaned over to give her a kiss.

***

Hands all over, lips kissing every inch of skin, him moving within her, relishing in her, loving her.   
_Anna, my Goddess…  
Kristoff, my love…_

They had shipped the kids off to Elsa for the day when Anna had taken the ovulation test in the morning and it had said that she was in optimal fertilization. All day they had been making love to each other. All day they had been gentle and slow, but their bodies had both become sore and they simply laid there together in the evening, watching television, too tired and worn-out to keep trying.

Kristoff hoped for the hundredth time that they would have success, but he was starting to understand that there was probably an issue between them. He didn’t tell Anna, but he had called a doctor and made an appointment in the new year to get himself tested. He thought that maybe over the years something had gone wrong within him. He hoped that it was him. He hated to think that if he was fine, Anna would have to see about herself and he knew that if there was something off with her, that she would be devastated.

He had mentioned adoption one night, in the off chance that they were unable to conceive, but even though Anna agreed it was a great idea, he had seen the pain in her eyes in thinking that she would be unable to have another baby. She was overly quiet that night and Kristoff knew not to bring it up again, until they knew exactly what was going on.

*****

“Why are we doing this now?”

“Because malls get busier the closer Christmas gets.”

Kristoff groaned. “I hate shopping.”

“Oh stop, you big baby. The sooner we get this done, the more time we have before Christmas to just relax.”

“True, I guess,” he grumbled. He scanned the display window of the store they were passing and his eyes settled on a half a dozen pen sets. He stopped. Anna took a few more steps before she realized, and turned back to stand beside him. 

“My Grandfather had one just like that,” Kristoff said, pointing to a box with a single gold pen laid in blue velvet. “He used to carry in his breast pocket all the time.”

“Yeah? It’s pretty nice.”

“Uh huh. I didn’t get to see him very much growing up, before he passed away, but he always let me play with that pen.” He laughed and shook his head. “Then my father borrowed it one day and lost it. Grandad was so upset.”

Anna was quiet for a moment before she tugged lightly on his arm. “Come on, let’s just get this over with.”

“Alright.” He sighed and walked beside her down the mall until she found the store they were looking for. Kristoff looked up at the huge Disney sign and settled his eyes on the rainbow of colors and kids running around inside like crazy little lunatics.

“Let’s make this quick,” he said, and grabbed Anna’s hand to trudge bravely into the chaos.

**Seven months after the Mirror Ball (December)**

“Merry Christmas,” Anna whispered in his ear as she snuggled up next to his side. 

“Merry Christmas,” he replied with a groggy voice, hugging her tighter to him. 

They had been up late wrapping, stuffing stockings and placing gifts from Santa under the tree, and Kristoff still felt the pull of exhaustion. He glanced at clock on his nightstand. “Anna, it’s 6 in the morning. Let’s go back to sleep.”

“I can’t. I’m too excited.”

He laughed softly and slid his eyes closed. “Well _I_ am going to go back to sleep.”

“Can I give you your Christmas present now? You’ll like it… I promise.”

He slid open one eye and looked at her. He could see the sparkle in her eyes, wondering what she was going to give him. “Oh yeah?”

She rolled over quickly and opened her nightstand drawer and turned to sit cross legged, facing him. She handed him a pen box. He took it from her hands as he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard. 

“Thanks Honey,” he said and slid off the lid to reveal the pen she had gotten him.

But it wasn’t a pen. It was a white stick with a pink cap on the end and a small window with two pink lines running through it. His heart stopped. He stared at it in disbelief before he wrenched his gaze to her. She was smiling and her eyes were shimmering. 

“Anna?”

“We are going to have a baby,” she said softly.

Kristoff was overcome with emotion. He immediately had tears in his eyes and he hugged her tightly. 

“Oh God, Anna this is the best gift I ever could have hoped for. I am so happy.” He held her while they both cried. For a long time after they stopped, they still didn’t move from each other’s embrace. He was dreaming of the tiny bundle of joy in their future, and he knew Anna was too. 

***  
Kristoff heard the squeals of excitement from the kitchen, and he knew that Anna had told Elsa the good news. They had agreed to keep it quiet until she was past the first trimester, but he simply couldn’t resist Anna’s pleas to at least tell her sister. He leaned back on the sofa, full from Christmas dinner and watched idly as George sat between Autumn and Kody reading them a book. 

As far as Christmas days went, he knew that this was the best one he had ever had. Anna had given him the greatest gift of his life and he thought about her all-day long. She had later given him the pen that she had initially picked out as his gift, happily babbling on about how when she had seen the positive test she knew right away that she wanted to surprise him by putting it in the pen box.

He had no idea how she was able to act like nothing was up for three whole days before Christmas. He knew if he was in that situation, that he would most likely have spilled the beans the second he laid eyes on Anna. She had told him she wanted it to be special, and while it most certainly was, there was nothing as special as the thought of his child growing in her womb.

He could still hear Anna and Elsa chatting away excitedly in the kitchen, so when the doorbell rang he got up right away to answer it. 

“Gerda! This is a nice surprise! I thought you were going to your brothers place today.”

She hugged him awkwardly with items piled in her right arm. “I was with them all day and it was lovely. Here.” She handed him a large overstuffed basket of goodies. “My nieces are getting so big! But I just had to stop by on my way home and see Autumn and Kody!” She was almost as animated as the kids had been when the spied all their presents under the tree in the morning.

Kristoff took the basket from her with a smile and followed her into the living room. 

“Gerda!” The kids shouted and jumped up to hug her. She took one of them in each arm and hugged them. “Merry Christmas guys! I brought you something!” She set her canvas bag down and rummaged through it for a moment before coming up with two cards.

Kristoff turned at movement in the corner of his eye to see Anna and Elsa walking into the living room to watch the kids open their gifts. Autumn and Kody wasted no time in opening their envelopes, immediately flinging open the paper; too excited to actually read what was on the card.

Kristoff watched as two colorful laminated pieces of plastic fell from each of the cards and he knew right away what they were. He glanced at Anna, and her smile back told him that Gerda must have already talked to Anna about her gift.

“Disney!” Autumn shouted.

“We’re going to Disney!” Kody agreed just as loud.

“Two day passes. But there’s a catch! You have to let me take you one of the days, okay?”

“Okay!” They both said in relative unison and hugged her, each muttering their thanks before picking up their cards and looking at them again.

Gerda got up and walked to where Anna and Kristoff stood together. Autumn and Kody immediately went to where Elsa had sat on the couch and shown her their passes, then quickly over to George to show him too.

“Merry Christmas Gerda,” Anna said and handed an envelope.

“Oh my, I wasn’t expecting anything,” she muttered before opening it.

She tired to conceal the look of shock on her face at the piece of paper she saw when she opened the card, painfully doing the polite thing in reading the card’s sentiment before looking at the paper more carefully. 

“Kristoff, Anna…. This is, too much.”

“No, it isn’t,” Kristoff said with a gentle but stern tone. “You’ve done so much for Autumn and I over the years, there is no way I could ever possibly repay you. You saved my bacon more than I can even begin to think about by agreeing to come to Seattle with us for all those years.”

Gerda was blinking away the sheen in her eyes.

“You’ve talked about this trip for as long as I’ve known you and I’ve known you long enough that you won’t go ahead and book it on your own, so we did it for you.”

“We already talked to your brother about it and him and his wife were able to get the time off from work and your nieces are on a break that week, so they won’t miss any school,” Anna added.

“I’m… speechless,” Gerda said, not trying to hide her emotion anymore before taking turns to hug them and muttering more thank-you’s into their ears.

“Stay for a hot chocolate?” Kristoff asked.

“You know, I think I will. What better way to end a perfect Christmas Day.” 

Kristoff looked at Anna, quickly flicking his gaze at her belly. “What better way indeed.”

**Eight months after the Mirror Ball (January)**

He could hear her puking her guts out in the bathroom. He wanted to knock on the door and ask if she was okay, but he knew she would give him the same response she had every morning for the last two weeks. 

_No, just give me some privacy please…_

She had told him she was morning sick with Kody, but it was not as bad as this this time seemed to be on her. Kristoff found himself in a constant state of worry over the baby growing in Anna’s belly. He knew how delicate these things were. He knew how many things could go wrong and he feared every single one of them. It hadn’t been that way with Laura. With her, he just seemed to know that everything was going right, but with Anna, he was a nervous wreck. Especially over how sick she was.

“It’s worse sometimes the next go-round.” She had told him, but he could hear the unease in her tone.

The doctors had confirmed that she had conceived towards the end of November and they both figured it must have had something to do with trying as much as possible when they took the ovulation test. They had set her due date for August 25.

Anna finally came out of the bathroom, stopping with unease to realize Kristoff was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her. 

“I don’t like having you listen to me throw up,” she said with a frown.

“I’m sorry,” Kristoff said quietly.

Her eyes immediately softened and she walked slowly over to him, wrapping her arms around his head and pulling it to her chest. He immediately curled his grip softly around her waist and sighing deeply against her stomach. 

“I worry about you,” he muttered.

“I’m fine Kristoff. The doctor said everything looks normal so far. Some women have it way worse for sickness you know.”

“I know.” He hugged her a little tighter, but not too tight. “But I still worry.”

She was quiet for a long time. “Me too,” she whispered. 

Kristoff closed his eyes and prayed for the millionth time that everything would work out and be okay. He knew how much they both wanted this. He knew how important it was to them. He knew, there would not be a moment of rest until their baby arrived, and then a new set of things to lose sleep over after that. 

The truth of the matter was, the worry never stopped. From the time a man or woman finds out that they will be a parent, the worry begins and stays forever. It will shift and change as they grow, but it will never, ever go away. That fact was something that had been weighing on Kristoff’s mind a lot lately.

*****

“Wait, what?” Anna said in complete and utter shock. Her heart immediately started to race.

“Twins,” the doctor said again.

She was still lying on the exam table with the disgusting cold jelly smeared all over her belly when the technician had abruptly left to fetch the doctor. He had come in and taken one look at the screen before telling them the good news.

Anna wrenched her eyes to Kristoff, who was sitting there staring at the monitor with a slack-jawed mouth. He finally met her eyes, breaking into a huge smile. 

“Twins?” he breathed.

“Twins!” she squeaked. “Kristoff, we’re having twins!”

“Twins…” He hugged her slowly, before sitting back down with a long exhale. He was incredulous. “I can’t believe we’re having… _twins_.”

“Kristoff. This is…” She shook her head looking for the word.

“Perfect,” Kristoff finished.

They looked at each other and they both knew. They _knew_ how perfect it was. They would be having two more children and Anna would only have to endure pregnancy once. They were going to be blessed with two kids right away, without having to worry about when and if it was the right time to try again after their baby. They could see it in each other’s eyes without uttering a word. After these babies were born, their family would be complete.

“With this in mind, we will have to adjust your due date of course,” the doctor was saying. “Some twins will come as early as 28 weeks, but on average it is between 35-38. They will most likely be deliveries via C-section, but your maternity doctor can fill you in on all the details.”

They were both listening to the doctor, nodding at his words, but they were still looking at each other. They could see it in each others eyes; they were both scared out of their minds and still trying to process the fact that they would have twice the work when the babies arrived, but above anything else, they were both overtaken with complete joy.

***

Kristoff tossed and turned that night. Now he had two babies to worry about, not just one, and his apprehension over how hard this was going to be on Anna, became worse. He fell into a light doze, woken by Anna every time she had to get up to pee. He smiled at her and pulled her close every time she tucked herself back in, only to have her squirm away a few moments later muttering “too hot.”

Autumn and Kody slept peacefully in their rooms down the hall, Anna was beside him in their bed, and she had their two future children growing in her womb. Everything he loved the most in life, under one roof. It was a peaceful thought, that finally brought him some rest.

**Nine months after the Mirror Ball (February)**

“I want you to remember that it took a lot of work for her to open up and start talking, so whatever she says to you, you must not show her any negativity for her thoughts, even if she says something you don’t agree with.”

Kristoff nodded to Dr. Andersen as they walked down the sterile smelling hallway to the gathering room where he was to talk to Laura for the first time since she had been admitted to the facility. The doctor had told her that she was improving by leaps and bounds and that she would soon be recovered and able to leave.

He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. He felt bad about it, but she had actually almost forgotten that she was there. He was always reminded when Autumn would ask how her Mommy was doing, that he chided himself for not taking more interest in her recovery.

He was shocked when he walked in the room and she turned to him. Her eyes were the clearest he had ever seen and she had a healthy pink hue to her cheeks. Her hair was longer and she had actually managed to gain some healthy weight. As she smiled at him, he was a little taken aback to see her like that, suddenly remembering why he had fallen for her in the first place.

He sat across the table from her, slowly sinking down into the plastic chair.

“Have I really changed that much?”

_Oh my God, even her voice is back to normal._ He cleared his throat. “You have Laura. You have indeed.”

She smiled at him again. “Thank you.”

Kristoff turned his gaze to his folded hands, resting on the table in front of him. He had no idea what to say. He hadn’t seen her in almost a year.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally, breaking the severely uncomfortable silence.

Kristoff looked up, trying to mask his surprise. 

“I am. I am truly sorry. You and our daughter didn’t deserve what I had done to you. I… I will always have to live with that, but I am trying to make amends with things.”

“Laura, I want you to know-”

She held up her hand cutting him off. “I have to say this now Kris, otherwise I don’t think I will be able to explain in the way I want to.”

Kristoff shut his mouth and nodded, waiting.

“I am moving to Brazil. I’ve wanted to go there for as long as I can remember and Dr. Andersen has a colleague there who will see me on a regular basis. I… I know it is selfish to leave Autumn like this… but… well, I’ve come to understand that me wanting things, isn’t bad. What happened to me…” She looked away and shook her head. “I thought that any decision I could make for myself was robbed from me, when I was younger, so I gave up on all of my dreams. But, well, I realize now that I can heal, and I can move on, and I can want things for myself, and I can dream again.”

Kristoff was having a hard time processing her words, but he knew better than to open his mouth to protest.

“I know that I am abandoning our daughter by doing this and I will have to forgive myself for that too, but I promise you Kristoff, I will write a letter to her every month, and when she’s old enough to decide on her own, if she wants to see me, I would be very, very glad.”

He waited to see if she would say anymore but her gaze was still turned slightly towards the window. “Will you ever come back, do you think?” he asked softly, not wanting to provoke anything, but still needing to know all the same.

Her expression never changed. “No.”

“Can I ask why?”

She met his eyes and her gaze remained steady. “Because of what happened when I was younger. I just don’t want to be in a country where someone of authority would abuse their power to take advantage of a child.”

He was shocked. Even since George had told him of her past, he always assumed he would never hear from her own mouth anything about it. He wanted to ask more questions, but he could see from her demeaner that it was all she was ever going to say to him on the subject. 

“Every country has people who would do such a thing Laura. Are you sure, this is what you want?” He knew he was pushing it a little bit, but he simply had to know how serious all of this was.

“Yes.” No hesitation. “It is something I have always dreamed of doing. I hope one day you will forgive me and I hope Autumn will too.” She got up slowly. “I have to go to my session now. I would ask that you not come back again. I need to move on to heal, and seeing you brings back a lot of hurt.” She read the pain in his eyes. “ _You_ never hurt me Kristoff, I know that. It was _I_ who hurt you.”

She turned around without another word and walked for the door.

“For what it’s worth Laura, I do forgive you.” 

She stopped at the door for a brief second, back stiffening in surprise. “Thank you,” she muttered without turning around, and disappeared down the hallway.

**Ten months after the Mirror Ball (March)**

“Are you sure you both want to know the gender of the babies?”

“Yes.” They both said in excited unison and grabbed blindly for each other’s hands as they kept their eyes on the monitor.

“This one here, is a girl.”

Anna squealed with excitement and she felt Kristoff’s hand squeeze hers.

“And this one here,” The technician pointed again to the screen. “Is a boy.”

“A girl and a boy! Oh my God, we are so lucky!” She turned to meet Kristoff’s eyes. “This is the best thing ever!”

He was in awe. “This is… amazing.”

They finished the ultrasound and were soon back on their way home. They both sat in silence, still reeling from finding out the gender of their twins. Anna occupied the time in the long line of traffic by thinking about baby names. They had both agreed not to worry about it until they knew what they were going to have.

Anna knew what she wanted to call the girl. She had a name picked out from the moment she found out she was pregnant all those years ago, thinking that she was going to have a girl, but when she found out she was going to have a little boy, she immediately fell in love with Kody when she read it in the baby-name book.

She wasn’t sure this time about a boy name. She remembered the ones she liked, but none of them seemed fitting. She thought for a moment before a name popped up in her mind and she had a feeling right away that it was the right one. The only thing she had to do, was tell Kristoff about it, and she had no idea how he would react.

She watched him silently as his gaze scanned from his side mirror to the rear-view and back out the windshield. He was calm and thoughtful, despite the snarl of traffic they were navigating through. _Well, now is probably a good a time as any…_

“So for a girl, how about Olivia?”

“Olivia huh? Yeah, that’s a nice name. Olivia….” He was testing the sound. “I like it.”

“That’s good. I have others we can toss around too. But I think I have one picked out for the boy.”

“Which is?” he asked absentmindedly as he shoulder-checked to switch lanes.

Anna paused a moment, hoping that it wouldn’t bring Kristoff any pain. “How about Wesley?”

Kristoff’s hands faltered on the wheel, almost brining him to graze the side of a car, but he straightened himself quickly, and as soon as they were creeping along again, he looked over at her. 

“You would… do that? It wouldn’t bother you?” His face was a mixture of surprise and pain, but she could see the appreciation above anything else.

“Of course, Kristoff. As long as you are okay with it. I think that maybe, it would be a good way to carry on the memory of your friend, and it is a very nice name. But, I mean, we can make it the middle name if you’d rather call him-“

He was shaking his head. “No, Anna. It’s perfect. Wesley is perfect. And Olivia is too. I love them both Anna. They’re perfect.” He gave her a quick glance from face to belly before turning his eyes back to the road. “You are perfect.”

He was quiet a moment as they drove on. “Wesley and Olivia…” he said over and over.

Anna liked the sound of it. She liked the sound of Kristoff saying the names of their babies. 

**Eleven months after the Mirror Ball (April)**

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Anna shook her head.

“I know. We must be out of our minds.”

“Say goodbye to all your nice furniture.”

“ _Our_ furniture, and I know. It’s going to get destroyed.”

“We can tell them they are not allowed to let them on the couches.”

“You know they won’t listen.”

Anna gasped. “What about the carpet? I’m sure there is going to be accidents.”

Kristoff sighed. “Yeah, most likely.”

Kody and Autumn were absolutely beside themselves playing with the two dogs they had picked from the Animal Shelter. The tiny white Pomeranian Autumn was playing with was just a puppy and the friendly chocolate lab that Kody had somehow became instantly enamored with, was just under a year old. They watched as the kids and the dogs all seemed to get along famously. Anna was very glad that the dogs didn’t seem to have any sort of beef with each other, since she could already see the level of attachment their kids had developed.

Anna looked up at Kristoff as she slid her hand absent-mindedly over her belly. “Yup, we’re crazy.”

“Okay guys!” Kristoff said loudly to get their attention. “If you’ve made up your minds, let’s take these guys home.”

Autumn and Kody both screeched with excitement, which riled up the dogs, causing playful barking and furiously wagging tails. 

“What are you guys going to name them?” Anna asked.

“Olaf!” Autumn giggled.  
“Sven!” Kody said at the same time.

“Olaf and Sven?” Kristoff asked, wondering how they were so quick to come up with those names.

Anna leaned over. “From that stupid cartoon,” she said quietly.

“Oh… right.” Kristoff recalled hearing those names now in an annoying theme song. The show had something to do with a snow-white dove befriending a little brown pony, or some other weird shit along those lines. He had never actually sat down at watched it, but he had heard the goofy voices of the two animals many times.

“Well, I guess one more stop at the pet store and we’ll show these guys to their new home. Sound good?”

Autumn and Kody shouted with happiness and immediately went to hug their new furry companions. Kristoff looked down at Anna. She mouthed _Crazy_ at him, and they both broke out into laughter. 

**One Year after the Mirror Ball (May)**

Kristoff rubbed his hand gently across Anna’s swollen belly, coming to rest just above her belly button so he could feel the babies move. “Couple more months huh?”

“Uh huh.”

“Are you nervous?”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. Kody was a natural birth. I’m kind of scared to go under the knife.”

“Me too,” Kristoff whispered as he rubbed her belly again.

“They do these things all the time though. We have nothing to worry about.”

He could hear the unease in her voice. Neither of them knew anything about C-sections until the maternity doctor had filled them in on all the details. They knew too, that their babies might have to spend some time in the NICU before coming home, depending on how things progressed with them in the next few months. For now, they were both growing and gaining weight, so all they could hope for was a safe delivery.

Kristoff didn’t want to say anything to her, but it was his greatest fear that something would happen to Anna when she gave birth. He had nightmares about it. He shivered slightly, glad that she didn’t seem to notice, and pushed the worry from his mind to focus on the little movements under the palm of his hand.

“You know, I am feeling a little…. Frisky,” she said quietly.

“You are?” Kristoff raised his eyebrow. Anna had been uninterested for a few months, which did not bother Kristoff in the least since she was pregnant with their children and he understood completely if she wasn’t in the mood. But to hear her say now that she was _frisky…_

She raked her bottom lip through her teeth and it was all it took for Kristoff to become instantly horny. He moved up so that his face was level with hers. “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes,” she breathed.

He wasted no more time in putting his lips on hers. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close as he relished in reacquainting himself with the taste of her. He slid off her pajamas, slowly and carefully, before he removed his own. He looked down at her naked pregnant form. 

“My beautiful Goddess…” he whispered. 

He bent down to kiss her again and she became his world. He softly caressed and kissed her entire body while she hummed her pleasure. She had tried to reach out to touch him, but he gently refused her, just wanting to focus on making _her_ relaxed and comfortable. When she was ready he helped her straddle him and lower herself down. He found his hands not wanting to leave her hips, offering her support for the weight she carried. He was glad she found her sweet release quickly and he followed her right after.

*****

Kristoff looked back and forth between the two rings. They both seemed to scream _Anna!_ Once the babies arrived and they were back into the swing of life again, he was going to ask Anna officially to be his wife.

He rubbed his chin absently as his gaze seemed to fall more upon the one on the right, rather than the one on the left, with the round setting instead of the square one.

“Yup,” he said, pointing to the circular cluster of diamonds. “This is the one.”


	21. Chapter 21

Despite how sore and tired she was, Anna could not stop smiling. They were finally brining their babies home. Born on August 1st, at 36 weeks and five days, Wesley came in at 5 pounds 8 ounces and Olivia weighed 5 pounds 3 ounces. They now occupied the two brand new car seats as her and Kristoff drove with the excitement of taking their newest additions home for the first time.

“They’re so beautiful…” Anna had said slowly, when she first laid eyes on their babies. She wanted to hold them right away, but she still had to endure the remainder of her C-section operation. Kristoff was a constant rock at her side; giving her words of love and encouragement when she admitted how scared she was. She could see that he was too, even though he was trying to hide it. It was written all over his face.

When the doctor had invited him to do so, Kristoff had stood slowly from his vigil by the stool at Anna’s head and taken some pictures on his phone. He chuckled when the nurse told him that Wesley was the older one. “He’ll use that against his sister someday, I am sure,” he had said and Anna could not help but laugh too.

Her laugher involuntarily turned into soft sobs and not because her body and mind were overwhelmed, or because she was still a little scared. It was because she was overcome with a joy that cannot be described unless you live through the moment of bringing new life into the world. There was nothing to compare to that feeling of complete and utter euphoria at finally seeing the babies that her and Kristoff had created with their undying love.

It wasn’t long before she found herself in the recovery room with her babies against the bare skin of her chest. She looked over at Kristoff; his eyes shimmering with emotion and his gaze unwavering from their daughter and son. Even when he spoke to her, he still kept his gaze on the little miracles they had created, and when he finally did look at her, she was struck by the reverence he held for her in his eyes.

The doctor suggested that they go to the NICU for a short time to make sure that their breathing was on track and Anna had gone down to the unit as soon as she was able to walk. She was relieved when they encouraged her to get up only a short time after she had been back in her hospital room, because she felt a little helpless laying there with the weird compression bags around her legs. It had been very hard and very painful to try and sit up, but there was nothing that would stop her from seeing her babies again as soon as she possibly could. 

Kristoff had refused to leave her side when he wasn’t in the NICU, only gone for a few hours while she was trying to sleep that first night to make sure Gerda, Autumn and Kody were all doing fine and had everything they needed. He slept in the only chair the room had to offer and although Anna had insisted that he try and go home and get some rest, he smiled and shook his head and told here there was no place he would rather be.

Wesley and Olivia were back in her hospital room with her just under 24 hours later and although she was still in terrible pain and more tired than she had ever been in her life, she was overjoyed that they were all together at last.

She sighed with content at the memory of it all and looked over at Kristoff behind the wheel of the Chevy Suburban he had picked out after days of searching for the perfect vehicle so they could cart their bigger family around. She had to smile to herself how cautious he was driving. He was doing at least 5 under the speed limit and he was constantly checking the mirrors with a nervousness about him. She had to shake her head at how he was able to make her fall in love with him again and again for simply being who he was.

*****

“Anna, stop, that’s enough pictures,” Kristoff laughed.

“Just one more!” She knew Kody and Autumn were getting squirmy with the twins in their arms, but Anna just _had_ to capture the moment. They sat side by side on the couch, each with one of their brand-new siblings in their arms. Anna had even made them switch who they were holding to take more pictures before Kristoff chuckled at her. 

Anna picked up Olivia from Kody’s lap just as Kristoff picked up Wesley from Autumns. She looked over at Kristoff and was struck again by how tiny the babies seemed in his big arms. She watched him for a second as he looked down and smiled at Wesley before passing him to Elsa.

Anna watched, and took more pictures, as her sister held her new Niece and Nephew in her arms. Elsa was not one to show too much emotion, but even she seemed awestruck.

George, Gerda and even Hans and Brooke were there too, and they all took turns holding the twins while Anna took more pictures, until Kristoff demanded that she sit down and rest. She did have to admit she was getting pretty sore, so she gladly took a seat and watched as Kristoff buzzed around the room, talking and helping with all the kids. It was nice to see all five of the children together. Autumn and Kody were very encouraging big siblings, giving Joshua excitement every time he pulled himself to stand on the edge of the couch. They took excited peeks at the twins every once in a while and laughed about their tiny little faces and their tiny little hands.

Anna smiled and leaned her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes for a second. She had been thinking about all their kids smiling faces when Kristoff was suddenly shaking her gently awake. She blinked the grogginess from her eyes and realized everyone was gone.

“I sent them on their way,” Kristoff said quietly, noticing her looking around. “We both need to rest.”

Anna smiled. “The twins?”

“Gave them each a bottle of the milk you pumped and they’re sleeping in their bassinettes.”

“Autumn and Kody?”

“Set them up with a movie in the Den.”

“Us?”

Kristoff chuckled and sat on the edge of the couch. “We are going to nap,” he said, gesturing for her to lean against him.

She snuggled her back up to his chest and sighed at the comforting warmth of him as he wrapped his arms around her. She had to laugh to herself how quickly he dozed off. She wasn’t at all surprised. He had been getting up and staying to help her every time in the past few nights and she was grateful for it. Anna shut her eyes and Kristoff’s slow and steady breathing lulled her to back to sleep almost immediately.

*****

Anna looked at her twins sleeping in their cribs and could not help but smile. She had fallen in love with Kristoff all over again at the way he made sure the room was perfect for the babies. He had built the matching cribs they picked out and ordered all sorts of new linens on-line since baby stuff like crib sheets had long since been gone from either of their cache of things. 

He had wanted to repaint the room for the infants, but Anna had reminded him that when they were old enough, one of them would be moving to the last free bedroom upstairs and since they didn’t know which one yet, there was no sense in doing it twice. When they were old enough maybe to pick their own things, then he could go nuts.

She smiled with a lump in her throat looking at the mobile’s he had surprised her with one afternoon with a giddy excitement that was school-girlish in nature. A football one for Wesley and a Ballerina one for Olivia. She never would have guessed when she first met Kristoff, all big and quiet and looking so uncomfortable at learning how to dance, that he would turn out to have the biggest soft spot for kids out of anyone she had ever met. She supposed his childhood might have had a little something to do with it, but she understood it was more of just his general character.

She blew silent kisses to Wesley and Olivia and walked down the hallway to their bedroom where Kristoff was lying in bed waiting, and shut the door quietly behind her.

“Sleeping soundly?” he asked when she sat on the edge of the bed.

“For now,” she smiled, turning on the baby monitor and setting it in the charger on her nightstand.

“I still can’t believe Hans thought one was a lot of work. He would have lost his shit if he had two to deal with,” Kristoff said through a yawn.

Anna laughed and agreed while she laid down and snuggled up to him. It did strike her as funny that he had asked Anna and Kristoff to keep Kody at their place for three solid months after Joshua was born, with only a weekend here and there. The last few months for her and Kristoff had been the most exhausting of their lives, but their happiness simply made everything right in the world. They wanted their entire family together as much as possible, so they had politely declined Hans and Brooke’s offer to keep Kody a little longer.

Anna rolled away and checked the monitor one more time. She knew she was being a little obsessive about it, but she still had that element of worry. They had kept the twins in the bassinettes in their room for four months before they decided it was time to move them. They were both light sleepers, and Kristoff and Anna both felt that rolling over in bed sometimes woke them.

The first night in their new room, they had slept for nearly five hours straight, and Anna and Kristoff had woke feeling a slight remembrance at what good rest actually felt like. 

*****

Anna woke as the first light of dawn was taking to the sky. She liked it when they slept with the window open, and she could hear the birds start to chirp in the early morning light. She rolled over and looked at Kristoff who was facing away from her. She smiled at the turtle doves on his back and the four dates that now resided under them; the bottom two of course, being the same.

She thought about the smaller version of that tattoo that now resided on her own back shoulder, in a mirrored position that Kristoff’s did. It was a fun day when they had gotten them done and they had their picture taken side by side with their matching designs for the artist’s portfolio. After his gracious acceptance to come back up to L.A. to do them, it was the least they could do when he requested the picture. He had been kind enough to send them a copy of it too. Anna had framed it and hung it in their bedroom.

Anna had joked that while they were getting them done, that Kristoff should get a sunflower tattoo near the same spot she had hers, to which he lovingly replied “No fucking way” and they both burst into laughter.

*****

Kristoff paused at the return address on the envelope. He started at it stupidly for a moment, wondering why the hell there was a letter from South America mixed up in his other mail, then he saw who it was addressed to and he finally put two and two together. 

He laid it slowly on the counter, pushing the rest of the mail over to the side. He hadn’t really known whether or not Laura would make good on her promise to write to Autumn every month. George had helped her pack up all the things she wanted to take and Kristoff had given him some money for her to get herself a start down there - making sure George acted as though it was his money, knowing full well that Laura would no longer accept anything from him - and it was the last he had heard from her. Until now.

He was surprised to find himself conflicted. Autumn could read a lot of words, but he knew she would not be able to read an entire letter by herself. He understood that he could either read it first, or let her open it herself and read it with her. He _wanted_ to read it first, to find out what Laura was going to say, but at the same time he felt like it was the wrong thing to do. If there was something in the letter that he didn’t like, it wasn’t exactly like he could just throw it away. He supposed he could save them, for when she was older and better able to grasp the entire situation, but at the same time, it was Laura’s way of trying to stay in Autumn’s life. Who was he to deny her of that? 

He sighed, picked up the envelope and walked into the living room. “Autumn, something came in the mail for you.”

*****

“That was a nice letter she wrote.”

“Yeah,” he answered as he pulled off his shirt. “It was. I was worried, you know, about what it said, but I am glad she stuck to the here and now about her life down there and not the past.”

“It was nice that she was vague about her illness. Autumn can understand a little better I think, just knowing that she needs to get better, but not really knowing _why_.”

“I’d have to agree.” Kristoff said and climbed into bed. “But one of these days, she is going to start asking more questions.”

Anna snuggled up to his side as he lay his head on the pillow. “I know, and I was thinking about that. Maybe, when she’s old enough to start writing her Mom back, then she can ask her directly. You know, they can be pen pals, and it’ll be up to Autumn to ask her Mom anything she wants to know. Maybe by then she can understand the answers to the questions she has.”

Kristoff smiled at the ceiling. “That is a great idea actually. I know Laura wouldn’t want to intentionally hurt Autumn, that much was at least clear from the content of her letter. I’m sure her answers will be careful. I _hope_ they’ll be careful.” He laughed. “I realized how hard it is to scan ahead of what you’re reading while reading it.”

Anna laughed. “Oh, is that what you did? I was wondering why you were reading a little slower than normal.”

“Uh huh.” He chuckled with her. “I couldn’t help myself. I just had to make sure there was nothing written that was out of line. I didn’t really think there would be but… well, you know.”

“I know.” She agreed and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Now, lets get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

*****

“I feel guilty.”

“Anna, we are only going to be gone for two hours or so. They are fine!”

“I know, but I still feel bad.”

“Well don’t, because you deserve a night out.”

She smiled and chuckled to herself. “I know. I know I’m being silly. We _both_ deserve a night out.”

He smiled back and kept driving. He had been waiting for the right time for six months to be able to take Anna out for dinner and officially propose to her. He had wanted to do it sooner, but the truth was they were all having so much fun being at home as a family, and when they did go out, they _all_ went out. Kristoff thoroughly enjoyed when everyone was together, but he knew it was overdue that he and Anna have some time to themselves. Not to mention that he needed to take her out _alone_ to pop the question.

Elsa had given Kristoff a small smile of encouragement when he left the house with Anna that night, knowing his intentions. He had showed her the ring, and Elsa’s smile of approval had told him all he needed to know.

They got to the restaurant and were seated by the fireplace, at a perfect table for two at Anna’s favorite place. The fresh hot slices of bread with the garlic butter brought to every table were one of her favorite things, aside from the chocolate chip cheesecake he knew she would be ordering after dinner.

Their conversation was light, mostly discussing each of them going back to work when the twins were a bit older. Anna had decided that teaching was something she really wanted to do. She was over the glitz and glitter and fuss from the show. All she wanted was to devote her time to children who shared her love of dance. Kristoff watched with amusement at how her face lit up when talking about places she could open a studio. He had no doubt in his mind that Anna was going to be an amazing instructor.

The conversation soon turned to the one thing they seemed to like to talk about most of all. Their kids.

“I can’t believe how fast they are growing.” She mused. “And I am so glad they started sleeping through the night.”

Kristoff had to laugh. It had been almost three weeks of solid sleep with only a night here and there where they had to get up, and it was utter heaven. 

She smiled softly at the table with reflection and when she brought her eyes slowly to his, he knew it was the exact right moment. He didn’t think he would be so nervous, but he was. If it was up to him, he would have done it in the privacy of their own backyard, but he knew how much Anna loved a romantic gesture.

He almost didn’t get up; his mind telling him this was crazy and he would not know what to say, but he made himself move and he slowly found his knee as he pulled the little ring box from his jacket pocket. He hadn’t thought at all about what was going to come out of his mouth and he suddenly hoped he could find the right words.

He could see the realization in her eyes right away, and he almost lost all his resolve at her instant tears, but he swallowed hard and spoke. “Anna. You came into my life… and you changed it. You changed _me._ You gave me the greatest gift I will ever receive; your love, and the family I’ve always wanted to have. You are my _life_ Anna. I am _yours_.” He took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh, Kristoff yes!” She knelt to him, pressing herself into his arms and kissing him. Her lips were almost enough to distract from the embarrassment of the cheers and clapping all around them. Kristoff felt his face flush furiously as the noise continued when he slid the ring on her finger and they kissed and hugged each other one more time before sitting back in their seats. He was relieved when the attention on them died down right away, and he could enjoy Anna babble about the ring as she admired it laying on her finger. He was very glad that he had asked Elsa what size to get, because he knew he would have gotten it wrong had he not inquired.

She took her gaze from the ring to look at him, and her eyes were absolutely sparkling with excitement. “I’m going to be your wife,” she grinned.

“And I will be your husband,” he grinned back.

She bit her lower lip and looked at her ring again, shaking her head. Kristoff knew what she was thinking. It was surreal. After each having a terrible first marriage, they had found each other and everything suddenly seemed to make sense in the world. Nothing seemed the matter when they were together. 

*****

As soon as they had their door closed and locked, they were all over each other with a hungry passion that they had not had since before the twins were born. It was frantic and desperate, and Kristoff’s lips and touch all over her skin was the most wonderful thing Anna had ever felt. She thought she might go insane from the aggressive level of arousal she was experiencing.

She tried to find some words to express how he was making her feel, but the only thing she was able to say was a breathless “I need you” over and over, until he finally pushed his length within her. Her legs wrapped themselves around his body and she pulled his shoulders down so that the bulk of his weight rested on her chest. He used his elbows to brace himself slightly, and took advantage of his position, kissing his way from her neck to her lips as her hands twisted into his hair.

She had to break from his kiss at the sensations he was giving her as he rocked his hips back and forth. All she could do was close her eyes to intense feeling of pleasure that was building and taking over. As her body flooded with waves of sweet release, Kristoff murmured _Goddess_ into her ear.

She wrapped her legs around him tighter and gripped his back when he followed her a few moments later, whispering _Kristoff, my love_ into the crook of his neck.

Neither of them moved a long moment, until Kristoff rolled onto his back at her side, grabbing her hand pushing his fingers through hers. They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to. They both felt the love and devotion and promises of the future. 

It was a moment of utter and complete contentment that was beyond what any mere words could describe.

*****

“Are you nervous?”

“Nah.”

“You’re lying.”

“Is it that obvious?”

George reached over to Kristoff and grabbed his tie to straighten it. “Yes.”

“Well, I feel uncomfortable being the centre of attention.” Kristoff said.

George laughed. “From the man who played football and went on Dancing with the Stars to be watched by Millions.”

“This is different and you know it.”

“I suppose you’re right,” George said slowly with a humour shake of his head. “I guess I would be nervous too.”

Kristoff looked in the mirror again. He never liked the way he looked in a suit. His neck was too wide and his shoulders were too broad, and even in something that was tailored, he still thought he looked silly. At least Anna didn’t care about stuffing him in a Tuxedo or anything like that. 

They both wanted it simple, so they had set everything up in the back yard and invited their family and closest friends. Anna had told him that when she was married to Hans, it was a massive co-ordination with him having so much family. They had 350 guests, and Anna had admitted that afterward she wasn’t even sure if she had the chance to talk to some people and she was physically and emotionally exhausted by the end. For Kristoff, it had been different of course; going down to City Hall and signing some papers after waiting in a long line of people there to get hitched in the eyes of the law.

A simple back yard shindig seemed to be the perfect way for them to celebrate their union.

Kristoff thought about the rows of white chairs set up carefully on the lawn, who were all currently filled with family and friends waiting to watch him stand up there with Anna and say their vows, and be announced as married, and kiss in front of everyone, and…

He groaned thinking about it all. “Thank goodness this is going to be a short ceremony and then we can start celebrating.”

George laughed again and clapped his arm onto Kristoff’s shoulder. “You ready brother?”

Kristoff nodded. “You know what? I am. I’ve been ready to marry Anna for a very long time.”

*****

Kristoff beamed as Autumn and Kody walked side by side along the wide, white piece of linen laid into the lawn that served as a makeshift aisle between the two groupings of chairs. Autumn was throwing pink rose petals from a basket and Kody was carrying the rings on a tiny pillow, and they were smiling so brightly it made his heart ache. He glanced over at their twins, each sitting on one of Elsa and Gerda’s knees and smiled at them while they looked around everywhere but at their Daddy. 

Kristoff thought it was a fantastic Idea when Anna suggested to have Autumn and Kody stand up there with them for the ceremony in lieu of a traditional bridal party. Their kids had been excited at the idea too and suggested that the twins could walk with them. Kristoff smiled the whole time while Anna had explained that their two rambunctious, _barely_ one-year-olds, would _not_ follow voluntarily in line with their older brother and sister, but would most likely be running over to the play house like they usually did.

The violinist tempo changed when Autumn and Kody took their place on either side of Kristoff, and everyone stood. Kristoff couldn’t help but grin, waiting for Anna to emerge from the house and walk towards him. 

When he finally saw her, his breath caught. Neither of them believed in the silly tradition of not seeing each other the day of the wedding until she walked down the aisle, but she had insisted that she wanted her dress to be a surprise. And a surprise it was. He knew she didn’t want to go with classic white, but he was not expecting the ivory dress she had picked out. It was knee-length and flowy, adorned in a stitched pattern of light green leaves and yellow flowers at the hem and neck-line. It was simple and elegant, and so incredibly _Anna_.

He took her all in as she approached him. Her hair was up, with pink ribbons to match the pink roses of her bouquet. Her cheeks were a gorgeous natural blush, and he didn’t think he had ever seen her eyes look so _blue_. Her smile nearly killed him.

She looked absolutely stunning.

As they had planned, the ceremony was short and to the point. Anna had gone against wanting to write their own vows since she admitted that there was no way she could get through them without sobbing and speaking incoherently while ruining all her makeup. Kristoff had to agree. There was only one thing in the world that made him emotional, and it was the love he held for his kids and Anna.

When they finally shared their fist kiss as husband and wife, Kristoff proudly shouted to the crowd of people, that the party had officially started, and they took off down the aisle at a round of clapping, cheers and whistles. Anna laughed with him all the way over to the large tent that was set up on the basketball court where the caterers had set up the buffet and the tables. They went straight to the bar, and they both congratulated themselves with some champagne as everyone else filed in.

There was laugher and well wishes all around while staff walked around with trays of appetizers and flutes of champagne for the guests. With only 65 people, almost a third of which were members of the Seattle Seahawks, it was easy to be able to talk and spend time with everyone. 

Gerda was looking after all the kids in the bouncy house outside and making sure they behaved themselves when Wesley and Olivia teetered around inside. Kristoff had almost begged Gerda to just take the night and enjoy herself, but she had insisted that _she_ be the one to look after the kids. Kristoff finally seemed to understand that her demand was genuine and not something she was feigning just to be polite.

They buffet was full of all of their favorites. Autumn and Kody had asked for pizza, Anna had really wanted some kind of pasta dish, and Kristoff wanted a prime rib roast, among all the other things they fancied. There was an almost dizzying amount of food, but Kristoff wasn’t really all that surprised that the caterers had a hard time keeping the chafing dishes full. Football players tended to have a very healthy appetite and there was plenty of them there.

Everyone laughed at the chaos that was erupting from the kids table throughout their meal. Gerda was beside herself with laughter and gratefully accepted Elsa’s help to get the kids to settle down enough to eat some food.

Kristoff was even glad that Hans and Brooke seemed to be enjoying themselves too. He knew they had hit a rocky patch and he wasn’t even really sure that they would be attending, but Anna had received their very own wedding invitation in the mail only a few days prior. Whatever they had been going through, seemed to have worked itself out into a winter wedding. Even Anna had leaned over to him as they ate, to comment on how happy they looked.

When everyone was finished, it was Kristoff and Anna who gave a small speech together, thanking everyone who came to celebrate with them, and an extra thanks to those who had travelled to be there. They ended in a toast to everyone, which was followed by a merciless cacophony of utensils on glassware, and they both decided to give everyone a bit of a show with a long, but tasteful kiss.

Everyone gathered around the bar while the entertainment company removed a few tables and chairs to lay down a temporary dance floor and set up the DJ booth. Before Kristoff even really knew what was happening, the DJ was announcing that the Bride and Groom would now share their first dance as Husband and Wife. 

Anna had gleefully pulled Kristoff behind her into the centre of the dance floor and slid her hand into his and her other arm onto his shoulder, as he settled his grip around her waist. The familiar song started and Kristoff felt the instant emotion attached with it. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Anna’s and softly sang _their_ song to her as they shared their first dance. Her own quiet voice joined his, and they sang so delicately to each other, that they were the only ones who could hear despite everyone watching them.

_I was standing  
All alone against the world outside  
You were searching  
For a place to hide_

_Lost and lonely  
Now you’ve given me the will to survive  
When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive_

_Don’t you worry  
Sometimes you’ve just gotta let it ride  
The world is changing  
Right before your eyes  
Now I’ve found you  
There’s no more emptiness inside  
When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive_

_I would die for you  
Climb the highest mountain  
Baby, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do_

_I was standing  
All alone against the world outside  
You were searching  
For a place to hide  
Lost and lonely  
Now you’ve given me the will to survive  
When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive_

  
When the song was over and they pulled apart, Kristoff wasn’t surprised to see that Anna’s eyes were shimmering. He knew his were too. Husband and Wife, now and forever. They had four beautiful kids, they were married, and they had their whole rest of their lives to look forward to.

To say their future looked bright, was the biggest understatement of them all.


End file.
